(AKB0048 Saga) (Darksiders II) - The Frozen Assets
by StormRex Lancer
Summary: AKB0048 wrote it after Yuko's Corruption, but events happening IN the story happens after Quattro, and before Glimpses of Humanity. It will help if you read it before Glimpses of Humanity. A time where Chris started taking the first step towards finding Humanity's meaning. With the Eldest of the Four - Death - as her ally, how will Chris's dimensional adventure hold out?
1. Dimensional Disruption

_**Darksiders II: Frozen Asset**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vigil Games, Darksiders, THQ, Satellite, AKB0048, or the characters in AKB0048! However, I do own Chris and Alito!**_

_**Preface**_

There would come a time when legends, living legends, had their name etched upon a dedicated group's history books of whom said legend guided through their darkest days.

Not all might know the history books, but those few authors and illustrators had put their head, minds, hearts, and soul together in creating this history book.

Let the history book forever belong to the members of the super idol group - AKB0048 and SKB0048.

Be it Senbatsus, graduates, Kenkyuseis, staff members, Chef Papa, Sensei-sensei, the lots.

The book should not be for glorification, it should be about explaining the past to the demographics.

It should be about the legend's adventures, struggles, and difficulties in hopes to educate, perhaps even intrigue and inspire people, that this was the living legend BEFORE the legend found his or her true calling.

_**Author of the Book - Katagiri Atsuko AKA Atsuko Maeda the 13th, Tsubasa Katagiri, Nagisa Motomiya, Mimori Kishida, Yuka Ichijyo, Orine Aida, Kanata Shinonome, Sonata Shinonome, and Suzuko Kanzaki.**_

_**Illustrator - Chieri Sono, Mayu Watnabe Type III, and Ayako Kuroki AKA Yuki Kashiwagi the 6th**_

_**The ones who recount the events - Crowfather, Azrael the Angel of Death. **_

_**Before there was AKB0048, before there was any adventures involved, one group of allies that Chris and Alito had made before their redemption will end up being her greatest friends in the years to come, especially in the adventures with AKB0048.**_

_**However, who were that 'group of allies? **_

_**What must we seek in order to know the allies' identity?**_

_**As one might have said, to first know the allies, thou shalt know the others...**_

_**Nephillims, Cursed Union of Angels and Demons.**_

_**The Nephillim once put countless realms to the sword just because of a prize, and burned those realms to ashes.**_

_**However, Four amongst them grew weary of the slaughter, and feared that their conquest would imperil the Balance.**_

_**Thus, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were formed, a fearsome brotherhood tasked with one thing and one thing only...**_

_**Protect the Balance...**_

_**Purging their own brethren from creation; to annihilate the Nephillims, and destroy their souls...were the Horsemen's first task.**_

_**Let us get into the journey now...shall we?**_

_**Phase One: The Beginning - Written by Katagiri Atsuko AKA Atsuko Maeda the 13th and co-written by Tsubasa Katagiri.**_

_**Chapter 1: Dimensional Disruption!**_

_**Two years before Chris and Alito's arrival at Akibastar...**_

_**Neckarsulm, Germany - February 2002.**_

"This is quattro GmbH, how may I help you? Yes, speaking...What? The Adventurers' Agency council members are requesting my assistance, is it?"

A calm, albeit direct and cold voice echoed through the office room of the Icy Maiden - Chris 'Quattro' Fuschia, who was twenty years old.

"Mmm...Sounds serious; I will get to it right away. Thanks..." the Icy Maiden replied, her freezing vapour covered the mouthpiece in frosty white.

Chris's ever-loyal servant, Alito Gnade, who was twenty-six years old, got up as she prepared a dark blue coat for the Icy Maiden. She was standing right beside Chris during the conversation with the Agency.

"I assume it's administration matters, my Lady?" Alito replied.

Chris sighed deeply.

"Yes, Alito...The Agency, too, seeks your help. As you are my loyal servant, best friend, and confidante, I think it comes as no surprise, mm?" Chris nodded.

"I will be happy in assisting my Lady in her next mission wherever possible and whenever possible." Alito simpered.

`Chris gave a small simper in return, "Alright, Alito...let's go."

"Yes, my Lady."

_**THQ Production Presents...**_

"Just in time, Chris and Alito, the Guild Commander Leona is at the third floor. She's waiting anxiously, wondering if you will ever come." a blonde receptionist at the Adventurers' Agency desk heaved in relief.

"It's good to see you again after your flu recovery, that's good Regina." Chris nodded calmly.

"Thanks a million. Your flu recovery medicine using altered liquid nitrogen really helps! This is not why we're here, though, come, I can explain some details along the way." Regina Waltz, the blonde Guild Receptionist, smiled.

_**AKB0048 Production...**_

"So why was she worried in the first place?" Chris wondered.

"Well, apparently there's been another dimensional disruption at the Dimensional Investigation department. The energy readings, however, were the highest ever since it's created two years ago, way above our limitations...That apparently got the Guild Commander up and arms." the blonde Guild Receptionist's eyes drooped down, giving a sign of worry.

"Say no more, we will investigate the disruption as soon as the briefing is done." Chris replied calmly.

Regina gave a smile of relief as she wiped off sweat from her forehead with a white handkerchief.

_**From the creators of Darksiders and Darksiders II...**_

"The energy signatures in this dimension as shown, has fluctuated exponentially, affecting our dimension in terms of climate change, natural disasters, and even the ecological cycles. What's worse, the reading is the highest we have seen so far; three times the level compared to the last highest energy signature - your last outings to Lancastar. If this goes on...," the Guild Commander Leona worryingly replied.

Chris looked down as she clenched both her fists hard. She would not let any innocent beings die by the hands of an inter-dimensional threat. It was the last wish of the Fuschias that Chris protects any innocent beings, families, or couples from any heartless beings or supernatural forces, no matter how ridiculous the premise might be.

With the last few words of her mother etched upon her mind, the Icy Maiden coolly nodded.

"It could be dangerous, though...Are you sure you and Alito will be alright with this?" Leona asked, her voice mixed with great concern.

"You called us because you have trust us, besides, we would not allow any scions of darkness from some other dimension destroy our world's balance...Mark my words..." Chris frowned as her eyes and Alito's eyes glowed white with energy.

_**Darksiders: The Frozen Assets**_

"We will execute those heartless ones responsible..."

_**Meanwhile, at the same time on the dimension that Leona was talking about...**_

A barren land; no water, no life, no ecology, and all that were left are vultures and crows flying around, fighting for whatever rotting pieces of flesh they could find on a rotting living thing.

It was by no means, an inhabitable place for most...

Of course, if one were to pay attention, _'for most'_ would be the clue as to a particular being who would not mind living in this environment.

An eternal being that everyone feared, but no one could escape.

_Death..._

As Death was busy putting the final changes on his skeleton-based house, two discerning aura - black and white, came galloping by, approaching the Pale Rider with solemn looks on their faces.

"Fury, Strife. What's the matter? You both don't look like your usual self since the Abomination Vault era." Death frowned in concern.

"Yeah, thanks, Captain Obvious! Didn't you notice who was not with us the moment we arrived?" Strife, the Rider of the White Horse, snarled.

Death's eyes widened for a bit, and then frowned once more.

"Where's War? Unless he's on a rampage, which I don't think he would, he would have been following you, both." he replied.

"That's precisely the point...We thought War was with you all along, seeing as both of you are close brothers, but he isn't with you either?" Fury, the Rider of the Black Horse, wondered.

Death shook his head, wondering where he might have been.

"That big goofball who wears armor that is about as ridiculous as a Saturday morning fantasy cartoon character...he never gets away before causing anymore trouble, huh?" Strife scoffed.

Death placed his Harvester close to Strife's neck as the former's bony mask came close to the latter's metallic counterpart.

"You don't ever, EVER, talk bad about our brothers, you understand?" Death frowned.

"What is it again? Just because you aren't here for another million or so years since the Abomination Era doesn't means that you can be the boss! Besides, don't give me the 'What makes you think, I can't' rebuttal; you are the only person that War felt the most relaxed to have a conversation with, so you are the one responsible!" Strife frowned.

"Please, brothers, STOP IT!" Fury flared up. Her hair, made out of purple flame, began to grow big temporarily.

The two male Horsemen of the Apocalypse stopped bickering and they looked at an annoyed Fury, who was crossing her arms and tapping her feet while leaning on her Black Horse, Famine.

"War might be in serious trouble! Do you know the time when he suddenly gone berserk and killed tons of people against the Council's will? I know he is calm and all but...he is War. He can be unpredictable, right?" Fury wondered.

"He's the most honorable of us four still. He would have learnt his lesson by now; he apologised to me. Though I myself don't have as much of a good feeling either..." the Pale Rider frowned.

True to his word and his fear, War did get into trouble...

Shortly after Death, Strife, and Fury reunited, the Charred Council demanded an audience from them.

The Charred Council are Old Ones - ancient beings that had existed since the beginning of time, since Creation began, and before even the Nephillim, Heaven, or Hell existed.

The Creator, Samsarel, tasked the Charred Council to oversee the Balance of the world.

_"The Charred Council had been alerted that War, the Red Rider of the Apocalypse, triggered the Apocalypse and rode forth to Earth, unbidden, and doomed all of mankind. Heaven lost and the angels that have been on Earth will not return to the White City. As for War, we have saved him before the Chosen, Straga, had even a chance to kill him. However, War will be judged according to the rules of the Council and of the Balance!"_

_**After the Charred Council's announcement...**_

_**Back at Death's home...**_

_*SLAM!*_

"This is absurd! My brother War, he could not have triggered the Apocalypse before the Seal was broken! It's a conspiracy!" Death shot out, veins of anger bulged through his forehead after he smashed one of his constructed skeleton-based table to smithereens and his eyes widened, bloodshot with rage.

"We want to believe that War didn't go to Earth unbidden, we really do, but...all the evidence pointed against him riding on Earth - the Seals were still intact, all seven of them." Fury shook her head.

"Even then, War could not have done this sort of thing! If the Seven Seals weren't broken, War wouldn't have rode onto Earth! If it's about anger management, the Charred Council would not punish him as severely now! Rather, they would be calling our help just as they would last outing!" Death clenched his fists in fury.

"I don't know...but maybe what you said is true...yet the Council's decision is final..." Fury gave a worried look at Strife, whom she has a close sibling relationship with; after all, what comes Strife, comes Fury.

"I don't give a damn about the Charred Council. Do you always listen to that damn authoritarian figure every time? The only reasons we obeyed them is because we have the same enemies; the ones who dared to upset the Balance." Strife frowned.

Fury placed her right hand on her chest; she could feel that largely, Death was right. If War had gone on a rampage, the Charred Council would not have informed them of War's punishment. The Council would have just sent them down to Earth once more to reclaim War.

Besides, War was honorable, so how could he have rode into Earth without knowing that the Seven Seals broke?

If War was not on rampage, and the Seven Seals were not broken, who was behind all of these?

Fury's eyes flared up, she wanted truth.

"Death, I'm with you." the Rider of the Black Horse nodded firmly.

Death was about to raised up his hand and refused the offer but Strife being Strife...

"Look, brother, as irritating, dry, and sarcastic as I am, I'm not about to leave our brother for dead! Sure, his armor looked really impractical and stupid, but I'm not about to discount him from our group of Four, right? This is not just your fight compared to what happened millenniums ago during the Abomination era; this is OUR fight, our fight to get your brother back!" Strife's mask inched in closer to Death by the minute as he chided the Pale Rider.

Death's eyes turned from shock, to anger at Strife's defiance, to realization that Strife was right...

War, Strife, and Fury were the only brother he had left. Ever since the Great Battle for Eden millions of years ago, only the Four remained as the protectors of Balance.

Pledging their loyalty towards the questionable Council, the Four Horsemen awakened their unimaginable power. Enough power to kill off the entire Nephillim race, save for four - them.

Death swore, from the day the Nephillim were virtually extinct, that he would take care of the War, Strife, and Fury, no matter how bad-tempered or irritating they are.

The Pale Rider sighed, his eyes dropped slightly as he nodded softly.

"We have to travel without the Council's knowledge; that means minimum usage of our alternate forms. Is that clear?" Death frowned.

"Right!" Strife and Fury nodded.

"As for me...I didn't know where to start, guess the Crowfather is the best way to go. I have to get some weapons, though..." Death frowned.

_**Icy Veil - Chris and Alito...**_

Huge, chilling wind blew through the icy peaks of the mountains. Snows flowed along with the strong winds, cluttering old constructs and abandoned churches, huts, and stairways with fresh snow.

The blue, winter skies were covered by cold, gritty, grey clouds. Snow descended off the clouds like fallen angels, as if to signify a sad, sad day in humanity - humanity's hundredth death anniversary.

Chris's Audi Le Mans Quattro drove out of a portal that connected her dimension and the Icy Veil. Alito was sitting beside Chris.

"This place seems to be a bit...too barren. Are you sure this is Earth, just in another dimension, and not just a Parallel Dimension?" Chris spoke through the intercom installed on the Multi Media Interface, Audi's formidable satellite navigation system.

_"It was said that the humans had been gone for about a century now. However, there seems to be some evil energy still lying around that might have caused the abnormal energy readings we have picked up recently. Besides, it isn't a parallel dimension. I managed to hack into the database of this dimension's Germany and sift through whatever is left. Guess what, there are no signs of you, the Fuschias, or Alito at all." _Commander Leona explained.

"Different dimension it is then, considering the theories of parallel dimension in place." Chris replied calmly.

_"So...what're you gonna do?" _Leona asked in great concern.

"The disruption signature is pretty high here. We shall investigate it by scaling to the peak. Don't worry; Alito and I are experienced in climbing dangerous cliffs before ever since the Agency's introduction two years ago. That, and the Project Tundra and Ventus will allow us a better edge in acrobatics." Chris replied.

_"Right...good luck then, I will be informing you and Alito on important things as time goes by. Be careful!"_ Leona replied.

The melodious cries of the twin-turbo V10 engine echoed through the freezing air as Chris's Audi Le Mans Quattro continued traversing through the icy ruins of the Veil, approaching what was to be a tall and giant icicle castle.

Chris's Project Tundra and Alito's Project Ventus flashed warning beeps on their right and left eyes respectively.

Shortly later, Chris and Alito's ears picked up a soft, yet crisp, galloping sound.

_Warning: Abnormal Energy Readings detected. Signatures recorded that the being was not human, angel, or even demons. Proceed with caution._

A tall, pale-skinned figure with black hair that covered his sideburns, a skeleton mask upon his face, and glowing orange eyes sat on top of his spectral horse as he galloped through the barren winter desert.

The figure was wearing nothing on his top half except for a spiky shoulder pad and an armor strap across his pale chest. His bottom part had metal highlights and dark purple cloth covering around his waist and hips. He was wearing a skeleton-covered boots and had golden-colored dual scythes with a red orb on its hilts. The scythes had ragged edges with imprinting and skeleton marks on them, glowing with arcane magic as they wail out occasionally, as if the scythes were semi-sentient.

Chris saw the approaching galloping figure on her satellite navigation and frowned.

_"Who is that figure riding behind us?"_

Before long, the MMI beeped out a warning signal.

Without hesitation, Chris clutched onto the handbrake, forced her Audi Le Mans Quattro to do a handbrake turn, and stopped just a mile away from the galloping figure itself.

The figure pulled the reins of his spectral horse and it neighed as it came to a rumbling halt. The figure looked at the exotic, frowning as he cracked his knuckles.

"Who dares to block a rider's way to seek the Crowfather?" said the figure.

"My Lady...what should we do? It seems as if the masked figure isn't particularly happy about us blocking his way." Alito asked.

"I don't think he's out there to harm us, he would have attempted to attack us by now, judging by the immense energy readings I'm getting from my MMI System. We will interact with him, but be careful." Chris replied calmly.

"Yes, my Lady." Alito nodded firmly.

Chris Fuschia and Alito Gnade walked out of the car; their cloaks that worn around their body flowed in harmony with the freezing wind.

"We are no fans of beating around the bush, horseman. We shall be quick and direct. I am Chris Fuschia, and this is my loyal servant and best friend Alito Gnade. We do not come from around here. May we ask kindly, who are you?" Chris bowed slightly.

The Pale Rider set his eyes upon the two feminine figures and gave a low 'hmmm' grunt.

_"They seemed to be entering the Icy Veil as well, besides, they don't seem like they want to fight. Besides...they don't seem to be around here - the humans are extinct for about a century." _He thought.

The Pale Rider dismounted from his horse and approached the two maidens. Goosebumps rose slightly from the Rider's skin as he approached them, shocking him.

_"Icy powers, but even colder than that of the Abyss itself. Guess that attributes to her no-nonsense attitude."_

"You should know my name. I exist at the end of all things, and bring them eternal rest." the Rider replied.

Chris and Alito frowned, for they knew the figure that stood in front of them was actually none other than the Pale Rider himself...

_"Death...The oldest Horsemen of the Apocalypse..."_

_**This is Chris and Alito's first encounter with Death.**_

_**Will Death's first conversation with humans be successful?**_

_**Or will he end up claiming another victim to the endless flows of time?**_


	2. Seeing Death - Scaling the Icy Veil!

_Stormrex Lancer Author Note: I am basing this story on TheGodFatherDictator's Darksiders II no damage walkthrough on Youtube. Go check him out; he's an expert in making no damage videos! Now back to the original schedule!_

_**Chapter Two: Seeing Death - Scaling the Icy Veil!**_

"Well, I suppose you know of my name even when you both are from the other dimension." Death grunted in satisfaction.

"Don't you dare..." Alito seethed, sensing Death's sarcastic tone, but Chris placed her left arm in front of Alito's chest.

Chris shook her head, prompting Alito to sigh and drew back her fists while still gritting her teeth.

"Of course, Rider of the Pale Horse, who would not know the ender of all life itself? The force that everyone fears...but no one can escape. Not even robots, cars, or gods..." Chris replied with such eloquence that shocked Death; he was expecting Chris, the first human being he has met since a century ago, to flinch at his name.

"Huh...I was expecting you to fear me, after all, all of creation knows Death and those who don't, _will_ know me." Death grunted.

"For someone as cocky as you, do I have anything to fear, Pale Rider? Besides..._who says I'm alive?_" Chris frowned.

"I don't follow your reasoning." Death frowned.

"I might appear alive to you, but from the inside...I'm but alive. I will leave that for you to decide. And no, I'm not an undead." Chris spoke solemnly as she looked down.

Being a Nephillim, angel-demon hybrids that also had the abilities to detect emotions, Death saw that Chris was hiding a drastic past that caused her to 'die inside'. However, clouds of darkness enshrouded Chris's drastic shadows.

Death sighed, his abilities, though powerful, had its limits. When it comes to deep, personal matters, even he could not detect it. All he could conclude safely was that Chris and Alito were not threats at all, thanks to those 'drastic pasts'.

"Alright...I get that you have your own personal space that allowed you to say that. Besides, what are you here for?" Death asked, crossing his arms.

"We are investigating an energy disruption that caused a dimensional rift between our world and yours. The Icy Veil seemed to be a good place to start. I assume you are also going there to seek help?" Chris asked.

"Yes, but seeing as you're not hostile, aren't you not curious as to why I am at the Icy Veil?" Death questioned.

"I'm not one who dares to question the Four Horsemen's authority but alright, I will bite." Chris waved her right hand.

"I have to free my brother War from a crime that he did not commit. For that, I must restore humanity back to Earth." Death replied without hesitation.

Chris's eyes widened slightly...

"You mean...humanity becomes extinct due to Armageddon, and someone framed War into doing such atrocities?" the Icy Maiden frowned in concern.

"He is innocent, and I suspect there might be some conspiracy behind it. War is the most honorable and would not kick-start the Apocalypse easily. I will restore humanity to clear his name." Death frowned.

Chris looked down for a moment, and looked at the Pale Rider with a determined look upon her eyes despite her calmness.

"We will help you, Death." the Icy Maiden replied.

Death's eyes widened once more, surprised at the turnabout of events - someone who he only met for a few minutes wanted to help him?

"We only just met for a couple of minutes, and you want to help me? Why?" Death asked, crossing his arms and giving Chris and Alito a weary look.

"We are investigating the cause of a dimensional disruption between your world and ours, and we suspect that it might have to do with the Apocalypse that happened here a century ago." Chris informed.

"So, you're investigating the cause of it all, right? Let me warn you, my brother is innocent still." Death frowned.

Chris placed her right hand on her chest and declared, "I have no rights to judge someone who I have never met, unless it is someone who is purely from hell or heaven. Your brother, I suppose, is a Horsemen, yes?"

Death nodded.

"Then it's a fact that he's neutral, and I have no rights to judge someone who's neither good nor evil. Besides, I respect you more for wanting to rescue your brother by any means. We will help you, of course, though that's completely up to you." Chris bowed slightly.

Death's eyes widened once more, taken aback by Chris's politeness that for the first time in millennias..._the Icy Maiden's eloquence trumped him._

"I wouldn't mind asking you a question, would I?" Death asked, finding new respect for Chris and Alito.

"Go ahead, I won't bite." Chris nodded.

"The moment I said something about rescuing one of my brothers, you seemed slightly sad. It is as if you are determined to prevent something that might happen to you...right?" Death asked.

Chris's eyes widened slightly, and then dropped back once more as she clenched her fists. She took a few deep breaths. A sad, yet solemn expression etched across her face.

"I appreciate your honesty, Pale Rider, but mine I suggest that you don't ask anything about my past? My reasons for helping you, besides finding the perpetrator, are of my own." the icy Maiden requested calmly.

_"So it has indeed got to do with her past...why would she want to avoid it then? But since she's requested it, I guess I should honor her request, for now." _Death nodded.

"Your discretion is most appreciated." Chris bowed down once more, along with Alito, who gave a simper.

"I gotta admit, this is the first time I have seen a polite soul in over a millennia, though that's a refreshing change." Death grunted.

"Let's not dilly-dally, Pale Rider. We have not much time, though I thank you for the compliment." Chris nodded as she and Alito walked back to the Audi Le Mans Quattro.

Death gave another 'hmmm' grunt.

_"Perhaps we might get along...Surprising, seeing as I normally don't give damnations about anyone." _he shrugged.

_**Icy Veil...**_

The icy spire loomed across miles ahead of them, covering in thick, yet soft snow.

Chris stepped on the brake pedal; the carbon ceramic brakes screeched and glowed as the Le Mans Quattro grinded to a dead halt. Ahead of the Pale Rider, Chris, and Alito, was platform after platform, walls after walls, even broken planks and short stumps.

"Well, how're you going to climb up that spire with your car?" Death wondered.

Chris and Alito stepped out; the former brought out a rubrics cube-like structure and pressed on a button by its side.

Within seconds, a light shone over the prototype R8 as it de-materialized into the cube itself as data particles.

"Four-dimensional cube, it allows infinite storage capabilities for easier access as long as one can organise stuff." Chris replied firmly.

Death raised his left eyebrow. "Interesting, I might add."

The icy wind became colder as it howled with relentless speed, yet Chris and Alito trudged on, much to the surprise of the Pale Rider.

"Are you afraid of frostbite?" Death asked.

"No." Chris's answer was cold, yet direct.

"Not even a bit?"

"I have liquid Nitrogen in my bloodstream. Hope that answers your question, Pale Rider."

"Oh." Death replied in amusement.

Several encased ice spread across the ruined fields. The icy prison encased ice skeletons, frozen on the spot.

As the Death, Chris, and Alito passed them by, the icy skeletons began shaking immensely as if they were having fits. Bits of ice started falling off their encased icy prison as their eyes started glowing white and hissed sharply.

"Watch out!" Chris warned.

Without a moment's notice, the icy skeletons that surrounded broke through their prison and brandished their large, aging swords straight towards the three figures.

"Stand back, I will take care of this." Death frowned as he raised his hands.

Three brown, wooden coffins rose out of the snowy grounds and three small ghouls encased in molten skins burst out of the caskets. The ghouls screeched as they charged straight towards the icy skeletons, arming with a light green arcane aura surrounding them. Their foes were lured into attacking the ghouls instead, not noticing the approaching Pale Rider taking out his dual scythes and charging straight at them.

Death joined the scythes' hilts as he rolled towards his foes and delivered a boomerang-like buzz saw attack. His dual-scythes sliced through and shattered the icy skeletons' ribs all at once. The skeletons that survived the assault or were out of the scythes' reach took notice of it and attempted to attack the Pale Rider, but Death's ghouls soon glowed...

_*BANG!*_

_*BOOM!*_

_*KABOOM!*_

The ghouls screeched their last as they self-destructed thanks to the fiery skins that they wore earlier. The explosion shattered whatever that remained of the icy skeletons' fragile bodies like precious China vases bombarded by a bull.

However, several more icicle skeletons from afar heard the ghouls' explosion and thus lured towards the source. Upon seeing the Pale Rider, Chris, and Alito, they lunged forth and attack.

The Icy Maiden and her loyal servant stepped in front of the Pale Rider, clenching their fists hard as veins bulged through their knuckles.

"Leave this to us. Alito, Lifebane!" Chris commanded firmly.

Without hesitation, the loyal servant obeyed and transformed into two purplish-grey scythes _with jagged blade tip, a skeleton hilt, and multiple icicle attachments on its body. They gave out an icy, purplish aura._

Chris instantly blinked into the charging group of icicle skeletons and with a sweeping slash, ripped their bodies apart. With graceful dance steps, Chris was able to slash her way through the remaining icicle skeletons with grace and panache.

Chris plunged her Lifebane into one of the skeleton's head, did a suplex cleave attack, and unleashed a powerful frozen shockwave that summoned enough icicle spikes to pierce and freeze the other skeletons.

_"Shatter Burst: Wreckage Crush!"_

With five flurries of slashes, Chris ended up on the other side of the field with her back facing the skeleton troops. She clenched her left hand hard as energy slashes shortly shattered and wrecked the frozen skeletons to smithereens.

The Icy Maiden exhaled deeply as Lifebane transformed back into Alito.

"Well done, Alito." Chris nodded calmly.

"Doing what I can, my Lady." her loyal servant simpered.

Death approached the two maidens, his eyes widened in surprise at the amount of powers the two humans possessed.

"I have to be dead honest, I'm impressed by the amount of powers the both of you possessed." the Pale Rider spoke amusingly.

"Thank you, Death. To your credit, I could learn a thing or two about scythe combat from you." Chris replied calmly.

"I suppose you don't want me to find about how your friend over here is able to transform into a powerful scythe?" Death wondered.

"In our world, supernatural energies and channelling one's own internal energies with technological augments is an everyday occurrence. You can say that is how we have diplomacy with the other dimensional worlds and establish an Adventurers Agency - globally and inter-dimensionally." Chris replied.

"Adventures having powers that only humans of our world could even dream off, I have to hand it to the both of you. It's not often I found interesting things every day, especially when you're a being that lives for a millennia." Death grunted in amusement.

"Let's get a move on. We can talk along the way." Chris sighed.

Chris, Alito, and Death effortlessly tore through the ice skeletons that inhabited the icy veil while talking...

"Possessed weapons?" Chris wondered.

"They are semi-sentient weapons that have a single purpose, to eat whatever weapons they can find. They grow stronger as they eat more of those." Death replied.

"I see...you must have known which weapons to feed; you can dish out a high amount of damage from what I can analyse."

"Heh...Those enemies are nothing compared to my power as the Pale Rider." Death boasted.

"And so is your cockiness. Can't say that I blame you when your powers are indeed, second to none. You're called Death for a reason..." Chris politely replied.

"That's not to say your weapons is weak. In fact, judging by the way you and your partner-turned-spiritual weapon fight, you fight in a similar fashion to mine - brutal, yet smooth and elegant, as a form of art. I'm still surprised at the coördination that both of you possessed." Death grunted.

"Unlike your weapon...mine goes way back and it has to do with my personal history. Alito is more than just a weapon...she's my best friend and confidante." Chris replied.

"Personal history, I guess?" Death wondered.

"I hope you can respect our privacy, Pale Rider..." Chris frowned and exhaled deeply.

The Pale Rider, Chris, and Alito continued climbing and jumping through ledges after ledges through a long chasm when they saw a small, crooked and mysterious figure. It was wearing a furry scarf, robe around itself, and was carrying a stick.

The mysterious figure cackled.

_"Voices...voices...VOICES! Hahahaha!" _

The figure dispersed into a murder of crows shortly after the Pale Rider, Chris, and Alito attempted to get near it.

"Who was that figure just now?" Chris wondered.

Death frowned. "The Crowfather, known as the Keeper of Secrets because he knows things that most of Creation will have forgotten eons ago. He is extremely mysterious and was the very person that gave me my pet crow Dust. Just why is he here cackling madly?"

"What do you mean?" Alito asked.

"Crowfather is normally wise and sagely, if a bit dry and sarcastic like I do. He is impatient at times, but not until an extent where he will be insane." Death replied.

"How is it that you came to know him? He doesn't seem welcoming." Alito wondered.

"I told you, he wasn't like this the last time I met him. I came to meet him after the Charred Council tasked me in becoming one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. You know, I have to be one step ahead then everyone in terms of knowledge of other-worldly matters." Death exlpained.

"Let's get to the summit; we'll settle the score there." Chris suggested.

After wall climbing through thick vines, the three figures landed on solid ground surrounded with ice spikes around its circumference. Behind them lay a circular-shaped lift attached on a smaller, but similarly shaped lever.

"Right...let's get moving. Wait..." Chris frowned when she felt the tremors building up on the ground where they stood on.

A deafening roar shook the ground as a giant, grotesque, ogre-like ice monster with ice-plate across its back and ribs climbed into the icy arena. It has icy spikes that grew along its shoulders and plates that formed on its back; its face more twisted than the icy skeletons that Chris, Alito, and Death had seen hours ago.

"An icy giant...not as if they are intimidating." Chris frowned as she looked at Alito and Death.

"Ready?"

Alito nodded firmly.

"Let's go!" Death shot out as he summoned three ghouls out of caskets once more.

The Ice Giant took out its giant ice mace and attempted to cleave its way into the three figures.

Death managed to get out of harms' way with an acrobatic flip. Chris, however, stood rooted on the cold, hard ground, glaring at the approaching cleave.

Before the Pale Rider can react, Chris merged her dual Lifebane into a big scythe, switched it into her left hand, raised her right hand, and formed a thick, rigid ice from her palm.

The ice mace, though huge, could not shatter the superiorly rigid ice shield that Chris materialised.

"Give it back!"

Chris's eyes glowed blue as a huge burst of energy broke the deadlock, causing the Ice Giant to drop its weapon and lose its balance.

Chris's eyes glowed blue along with Lifebane's hilt as she delivered a large slash diagonally through the Giant's shoulder, arms, chest, and legs.

Death appeared from behind, jumped up towards the Giant's back and delivered a powerful flipsaw scythe attack. The scythe's blade body shattered through the hard, icy body of the Giant.

Combined with the explosions brought about by Death's ghouls, the Ice Giants fell dead on the floor, its body shattered like glass.

"Mindless monsters...those mindless creatures of the Abyss think they can delay our mission..." Chris frowned.

"You don't feel any pain from the cleave itself?" Death wondered.

"For a person who represents a life's end, I thought you would be interested in seeing Alito and I _die by the hands of the Ice Giant_ instead of banging on about why I'm immune to such pain from the cleaving attack?" Chris calmly replied, albeit sarcastically.

"This is the first time I have seen a human do this, even if it's from the other dimension." Death crossed his arms.

"As a human, _I'm already dead._" Chris closed her eyes and sighed deeply as Lifebane transformed back into Alito.

"Shall we move on? I'm sorry if I angered you earlier with my sarcastic remarks about your personalities." Chris continued in ancient-looking lift.

Death snapped his fingers; he realised what Chris meant.

_"Emotional trauma; the darkness that surrounded her must have caused her to 'die'. Just what is the 'darkness' that caused the guilt in her anyway? It must be the same as mine, or how else do Alito and her want to help me?" _Death frowned.

As the Pale Rider, Chris, and Alito continued scaling through the Icy Veil, echoes of the Crowfather's raspy voice rang their ears.

_"Leave this place!"_

Unexpectedly, a huge chunk of rock crumbled off a weak structure and tumbled down the wall the trio were climbing.

Death managed to sidestep his way out of harm's way, but that left Alito on the boulder's collision course. Her eyes widened in horror.

"ALITO!" Chris screamed as she leapt forward and punched the boulder with her bare right hand, crumbling the boulder completely on pure strength alone. Blood soon seeped out from her right hand as she winced slightly.

Death's eyes rose in shock; he could not believe that a human would risk her life to save another human, let alone a best friend...

After climbing through the wall on the second last level of the Icy Veil, Alito rushed forth with a worried expression worn on her face and took out a cloth bandage.

"My Lady, are you okay there?" Alito anxiously shot out as she wrapped cloth bandages around Chris's right hand, with Chris patting her best friend on her head.

"You don't have to worry, Alito. Thanks..." the Icy Maiden gave a small simper as she winced a bit.

"No...Thank you, my Lady..." Alito blushed lightly.

Death was beside the two Maidens, continually surprised at the turnabout of events.

_"Absalom...is that what you said by, 'Humans are weak?' If that is your case, I do not see how that scene I am witnessing fits in."_ Death mumbled.

Chris, however, was able to catch the first few words that Death said thanks to her cochlear augmentations, which allowed her to pick up sound that was inaudible to humans.

"Is there anything, Pale Rider; something about...Absalom?" Chris wondered.

"Now would be a better time if you could respect my privacy as well." Death waved away at Chris's remark.

"Sorry." Chris apologised immediately, bowing slightly.

As the trio finally reached the peak of the Icy Veil, their eyes sat upon a mysterious-looking ice crown circling with arcane inscriptions upon it. Sitting on the icy Throne was the crooked figure - the Crowfather.

"Voices...voices...torment never end..." the Crowfather clasped his hands over his shaking head in anguish; tormenting wails seemed to echo out into the surroundings. Chris's Project Tundra managed to trace the tormenting wails back to an amulet, attached as a necklace around the crooked figure's neck.

The amulet looked like a honeycomb, glowed green, and had streams of green 'tongue' spewing out of the amulet. Whatever it was, Chris thought, it had to be tormenting souls trapped inside the amulet.

Death approached the Crowfather and spoke calmly, "Keeper of Secrets, I need your help."

The Crowfather shot up to look at the approaching trio; his eyes frowned in anger, clenching his fists and point at the Pale Rider as he replied in anger, "Help? I helped you once before, Horseman. Look at me now. How I curse that day. How I curse you."

Death raised his left hand calmly. "Careful, Crowfather, I'm not here to out you out of your misery. Not yet." he replied.

"I know why the three of you have come. You two Maidens, you came here from some other dimension to investigate a dimensional disruption in relation to our world. Death, your brother, the one called War. He's been imprisoned by the Charred Council and awaits their judgement for dooming the Earth and for humanity's extinction. Why should I care about your brother's fate?" the Crowfather turned away in disgust.

Before Chris and Alito react, Death interjected, "Because you know the truth. Your secrets can save him."

"The Council will condemn War; strip him of power, let him rot in oblivion...to hide the truth! My secrets cannot prove his innocence, Horseman." the Crowfather replied.

"No...But they can help me to erase the crime." Death replied.

"Yes, that and we can find out the ones responsible for triggering the dimensional disruption in our dimension. The energies built up from the century since the Armageddon caused the disruption, it seems." Chris calmly followed.

"How're you able to..." Death wondered.

"I have launched a satellite tracking device into your dimension. It has high-quality analysis systems that helped me analyse the surroundings and the energy signatures, past and present." Chris nodded.

"For both of you Maidens, i could at least understand your purpose. Death, you want to bring humankind back from extinction, is it? Madness!" the Crowfather gave a look of disgust once more as he waved it away.

"If it's madness, then who better to show me the way?" Death chuckled.

"Should a way exists for the three of you..." the Crowfather replied as he opened up a portal showing a large, colourful tree with looming leaves as its crown covered in lush, green leaves and rocks on the ground level, "this will be your destination."

"The Tree of Life..." Death's eyes widened.

"So this is the symbol that connects all forms of creation." Alito gasped.

"With this, we could wrap this up by lunchtime. Let's go, time's a wastin'!" Chris firmly replied as both Chris and Alito blinked into the portal itself, much to the Crowfather's surprise.

_"Teleportation? Damnation...well, at least Death is still here!"_

The Crowfather clenched his fists as the portal to the Tree of Life closed quickly.

On the other side of the portal, Chris and Alito's eyes widened as they saw the portal closing shortly after their entry into the realm containing the Tree of Life.

"Death? Death!" Alito shot out.

Chris frowned as her Project Tundra materialised her visor without hesitation. Scribbles of data began scrolling through her visor as she whipped out her laptop, accessing the satellite's database.

"Death is still over at the Icy Veil..." Chris replied.

Alito approached her best friend and observed the scene as it unfolded itself.

"Let's hope that the Pale Rider doesn't get into any trouble. War will not like it if any mishaps happened to Death." Chris worryingly replied.

"He's one of the Four...it should not pose a problem for him even if Crowfather's arcane magic is high, right?" Alito hoped.

"Death does not ride with the Power of the Seven Seals behind him; he can still face imminent danger, but then...this is Death. We shall see...there's nothing we can do now except to expect his arrival." Chris sighed.

_**Will Death survive the encounter with the expert of Arcane Sorcery - the Crowfather?**_

_**Just what was the connection between the honeycomb-shaped amulet and the Crowfather's madness?**_

_**What did the soul inside the amulet represent? Why is Crowfather constantly relating the amulet to Death?**_

_**Find out more in Chapter III: Arcane vs. Arcane - Death vs. Crowfather!**_


	3. Arcane vs Arcane - Death vs Crowfather

_**Chapter III: Arcane vs. Arcane - Death vs. Crowfather!**_

_**Chris and Alito's Trainquil Fury**__**!**_

_**Back at the Icy Veil...**_

"Open up the portal, Crowfather." Death frowned.

The Crowfather brought out the honeycomb-shaped amulet.

"That which you gave me...you will take it back." he replied with discontent.

"In exchange for your secrets you agree to keep the amulet." Death replied, pointing his right hand at the amulet.

The Crowfather knocked his forehead several times, a look of anguish etched upon his face as his eyes glowed green with anger.

"These tormenting voices, they have driven me crazy every single day, crying out in hatred and begging for revenge! You must destroy it!" the Crowfather shot back.

Death lowered his head in shame; his eyes wandered off in guilt upon the Crowfather's demands.

"I...can't." Death sighed.

"You killed your fellow brothers, all but three more, and sealed them inside this amulet. Who is to stop you from simply smashing this amulet into pieces?" the Crowfather frowned.

Chris's eyes widened as her eyebrows frowned in confusion and anger.

_"Death...he killed his brothers, all but three others? Death sealing the soul if his brothers in the amulet? He might have killed his brothers but it seems as if he isn't proud of it. What's this going down to?" _Chris wondered.

Death ignored whatever the Crowfather was saying and brandished his dual-possessed scythes, replying in a low, yet gruff and deathly tone.

"Open up the portal..." the Pale Rider threatened.

The Crowfather spread out his arms and taunted, "You will not enter the portal while I live."

Death braced himself for battle. "So be it."

The pale Rider charged head-on to the Crowfather, but the latter waved his hand and unleashed a medium-sized dark pulse, which knocked the former back a few feet away.

Death managed to hold his ground after planting his dual-scythes on the ground and dragging for a few seconds, eliminating the momentum. He looked up and gave an angry growl.

The Crowfather taunted, "Here your brethren are trapped in eternal torment. Do you wish to join them?"

He continued as he began levitating in mid-air, "And what of War? Would you kill your brother to save your precious balance?"

Death's eyes widened. "He is innocent." the Pale Rider shot back.

The Crowfather gave an insane smirk, "Are you so certain?", and burst into murders of crows.

On the other side, Chris began to process whatever information spewed out between the Pale Rider and the Crowfather.

"Death killed his brethren but he isn't proud of it. The souls were inside the amulet, probably given to the Crowfather by Death himself. Crowfather gradually became insane by the tormenting voices for millions of years. Why do I get a feeling that things are not as simple as it sounds?" Chris frowned calmly.

Back in the Icy Veil, a big figure about the same height as Death stepped out distances behind the Pale Rider. He was wearing a dark red hood, a thick, black belt with golden highlights, and an unusually large gauntlet on his left hand engraved with a giant skeleton insignia. His shoulder pads looked like a horned demon with sharp, jagged teeth with a menacing glare threatening to pounce. His eyes glowed orange as two 'tails' of white hair flowed out of his red hood.

Alito's eyes widened...

"My Lady...isn't that the Red Rider, War?" she asked.

Chris shook her head as she accessed her Project Tundra once more.

"The database from the satellite uplink indicates that 'War' does not possessed the same blood as that of Death. In other words, it's the Crowfather; no one could have pulled off such a powerful mimicry as it would take a huge amount of arcane sorcery, but Crowfather has immense power." Chris explained coolly, keeping her composure as she observed what happened next.

"Will the Pale Rider come out okay, my Lady?" Alito wondered.

"Hope so...Death is already earning my respect just on the basis that he's willing to protect his brother from judgement. He could not have killed his brethren that easily; something must have happened to them for Death and the three other Horsemen to commit mass genocide." Chris concluded.

Death himself knew that the War was a fake - it was clearly a way to distract the Pale Rider from his main goal. The Crowfather, however, never failed to account War's ability to detect arcane magic into account; he was getting sloppy because of madness.

"So be it, Crowfather. You decided that using a decoy could fool me?" the Pale Rider whipped out two Armblades that looked old and chipped, but it had two skull hilts that were growling in hunger.

Death charged up his arm blades and unleashed a purple-energy shockwave straight towards the approaching fake Red Rider. The Pale Rider dashed forth to attack his target but 'War', his Chaoseater at the ready, swing his immensely powerful blade straight at the Pale Rider.

Death took the delay of 'War's' sword swing and managed to leap out of harm's way with a flip towards his right, just in time to escape the blade projectiles sprouting out like a geyser on the ground. The former quickly unleashed merged both of his possessed scythes by its opposing hilts and threw it like a boomerang towards 'War', slicing through the Red Rider's body with immense strength and speed.

The Pale Rider quickly retrieved his scythe back and unleashed a flipsaw attack while the Crowfather's clone recovered from his attack.

Angered, 'War' swings his Chaoseater towards Death's weapon and deflected it once. War attempted to cleave the Pale Rider but the latter reciprocates with another swing towards the Chaoseater.

The sounds of metals clashing by each other shattered the ice surrounding the throne into smithereens. Its ringing vibration shook the mountain peaks as it echoed through the valley, far enough to scare any flying creatures dead. Avalanches began to slide down the mountains, burying the trees and rocks underneath its cold, albeit soft matter.

Both the possessed scythe and Chaoseater clashed by each other again as Death and 'War broke into a deadlock, but Death, being the oldest and the horsemen most feared, saw an opening and wrenched 'War's' huge blade of destruction of his arm. The Pale Rider launched an uppercut towards the fake Red Rider's body, leapt forth and in a single sweep, brought the doppelganger down to the hard, solid ground.

Summoning his ghouls, Death leapt towards the right as he managed to distract his bulkier counterpart with his minions. The ghouls leapt onto War's body and the fake Red Rider planted his Chaoseater on the ground, the massive amounts of Chaoseater-like blade bodies sprouted out of the ground in a geyser attack.

The ghouls died, but not without presenting 'War' with a gift, a triple-explosion which sent the Red Rider flying over to one side of the throne room. The massive shockwave brought forth by the explosions caused a large icicle to impale straight towards the Red Rider's armor and through its body.

Death merged his dual scythes into a big scythe and ran towards the fake Red Rider to finish him off but 'War', who smashed the icicle into smithereens with his left gauntlet, quickly got up and clashed his Chaoseater with Death's scythes once more.

Several clashes of blades later, both War and Death landed on opposing sides, facing each other one on one. Both Horsemen brandished their signature weapons as they brought forth a final clash, the ringing sounds of metal echoed through the skies once more.

Time seemed to come to a still for a moment, and a crisp stabbing sound echoed through. The Pale Rider managed to find an opening and impaled his scythe's hilt on the fake red Rider's abdomen.

Blood spewed out of 'War''s abdomen as Death pulled his giant scythe out of it. Flocks of crows began to disperse as the fake 'Red Rider' slumped onto the floor, leaving behind a pool of blood and a familiar crooked figure lying on the ground.

The Crowfather was coughing out blood and breathing in a painful, ragged tone. His face filled with anguish as he felt his life slowly slipping away. After all, Death was capable of killing even seemingly immortal beings.

The Keeper of Secrets attempted to crawl out of the situation, but the Pale Rider quickly used his scythe and cleaved into the Crowfather's back. Death swiftly brought the Crowfather like a fork, as the blade tip impaled through the latter's abdomen once more.

"Open up the portal!" Death frowned angrily, grabbed the Crowfather by his head, and flung him on the floor.

The Amulet that tied around the Crowfather's neck broke off and landed on the floor. A large, black portal opened up as the dying Crowfather mustered up his strength to fulfil Death's demands.

Death looked at the dying Crowfather, shook his head, and sighed.

"Your secrets die with you, old fool. If only you would comply with my demands, we would not have to come to this conclusion." he frowned.

"My secrets will die...but not yours..." the Crowfather spoke rasply as he breathed his last and began rotting into flocks of crows.

At the same time, the Crowfather's Amulet burst into small pieces of crystals. The wailing souls echoed the mountains as the tiny crystal pieces embedded within Death's left chest.

Death could not handle to huge surge of energy that infused into him. The memories of his fallen, the wailing of the souls, and the immense amount of pain rippling through his spine and vessels brought about by the embedded crystals was far too much for Death to handle.

The Pale Rider backed off for a few steps before slumping on the ground, knocked unconscious by the immense pain brought forth by the amulet. The Crowfather's portal soon sucked the unconscious Horseman's body in...

_**Back at where Chris and Alito were...**_

"Death's signal is gone, My Lady!" Alito asked worryingly.

Chris brought out her fourth dimension cube and summoned her Audi Le Mans Quattro. Both the Icy Maiden and Alito hopped into the supercar as the former quickly tapped in a few commands on the MMI's Satellite Navigation Systems.

"If the Crowfather wants to fulfil Death's demands, than he will sent the Pale Rider over to where we are now. Apparently, we are in a place where the Tree of Life resides. Wait..." Chris's eyes frowned as she noticed Death's energy signature beeping in the system.

"Death is here but at different coördinates, South-East from where we are, surrounded by some abandoned structure near a Forge." Alito replied.

Alito and Chris looked at the environment they were in, the lush green fields spread across the lands and fallen pillars. There were signs of broken and aged structures covered with moss, creeper plants, and ferns.

The skies were misty and gave off a peculiar, yet mystical, purplish glow. A huge, branching tree loomed across the horizon.

"Let's get to the Pale Rider first. He probably knows about this world's stuffs better than we do. The info fed into the satellite navigation system is limited to environment observation. The myths surrounding this world...that is something that Death and the beings of this world know more." Chris suggested.

Alito nodded firmly.

_**Meanwhile...**_

Death's vision blurred for a while shook his head while opening up his eyes to see a big, elderly figure with wrinkles and thick, white beard extending to his legs.

"Be still Horseman; you are still wounded from the battle." said the elderly figure as he placed his right hand over Death's left chest where the crystals fragments embedded.

The crystals fragments glowed intensely as Death quickly slapped the elderly figure's right hand away.

"Don't touch me." Death snarled and frowned.

At the same time, Chris's Audi Le Mans Quattro arrived. Chris and Alito both set out of the supercar as their eyes met on the elderly figure.

"About time, Death, we're just wondering where you have been. If I may ask, elderly figure, who are you?" Chris wondered.

The Elder stroke his beard, held his big staff with his left hand as he walked a few feet facing a ruined statue of a stone golem.

"Your arrival, Death, is a bad omen. Yes...troubles me greatly." the Elder sighed.

Death pointed at the Elder, "Old one-there's more trouble ahead if you don't start making sense. Where is the Tree of Life?"

"Mr Elder, we have to find the Tree of Life to complete our mission. Would you please tell us the way to the Holy Tree itself?" Chris politely replied.

"Life?" the Elder chuckled wistfully, "This world is dying, lads, choking on Chaos and **Corruption. **We can do nothing to stop it. Soon the great tree too shall perish and, with it, the last of my people. Death...is that not what brought you here, pale rider? As for the two women, it's best if you escape this world while you can."

Chris clenched her fists, "Corruption? You mean there's a force that is threatening to destroy your kind that has nothing to do with it?"

"Yes." the Elder nodded solemnly.

Death cut in, "We seek the tree. Your "chaos and corruption" don't concern me."

Chris, however, immediately replied, "Alito and I will help you."

Death raised his eyebrows. "Our goal is to find the Tree of Life; that **Corruption** has nothing to do with our goal!"

"You heard the Elder; he said that the tree is choking on** Corruption **long before we come here. Besides, the Elder and the rest of his kind might be in grave danger as well! You expected to tell me that you, a Horseman of honor, are going to ignore an Elder's request?" Chris worryingly frowned as she replied in a deep, low tone.

"I'm not an errand boy! Besides, it is their business, not yours. Why are you so concerned with them?" the Pale Rider frowned.

"It is of my Lady's concern that she wants to fulfil their request. You have no rights to her privacy unless needed!" Alito frowned.

At the same time, a pool of black and green substances crept its way towards several broken construct pieces and resurrected them as small construct golems. Their rock-hard bodies glowing green as their eyes brimmed with insanity. The thick, black tendrils wrapped around parts of its body and their knight-like armor in a thick, gooey mess.

"It seems...they do concern you." the Elder replied calmly.

Seeing the corrupted golems charging towards the trio, Death pulled out his dual-possessed scythes and charged into battle.

"Great...now I have this bunches of dolts I have to deal with before I can go ahead," the Pale Rider thought.

"The **Corruption...**it is a being that will destroy all life if nothing can be done. You both women alone cannot handle such terrible power, it is best if you flee." the Elder shook his head.

Chris stood rooted to the ground, her fists clenching tightly.

"You said that Corruption...will kill your kind. An innocent race that has nothing to do with Corruption, and yet they want to kill everything in sight, including all of your brethren...right?" she spoke deeply, exhaling even more cold vapour than before.

"Yes, precisely that..." the Elder sighed.

The Icy Maiden breathed deeply as a gentle, motherly sound echoed through her mind.

_"Please...for the Fuschia's last will..."_

Chris's eyes glowed as she waved her right hand to Alito, who responded by transforming to Lifebane once more. The air surrounding the Icy Maiden became chilly as a burst of freezing cold shockwave froze several construct golems, surprising the Elder as he the wind blew him back several feet. The huge, elderly figure could see the tranquil fury inside Chris's eyes.

Chris and Alito solemnly replied, _**"In the name of the Last Will, history will not repeat itself!"**_

Within seconds, the golems fell one by one under the tenacity and fury of the Icy Maiden's brutal, yet graceful scythe attacks. Attacks that attempted to land upon her either deflected or missed completely thanks to her graceful, agile dodges like the Pale Rider.

Be it flipsaws, teleport slashes, dismembering, impalement, rolling slashes, triple slashes, flurries of swings, or whirlwind slashes, Chris's and Alito (Lifebane) ensured that no enemies were left unfounded.

A minute of clashing metals ringing through the air later, the Corrupted mini-golems slumped on the floor and exploded, living nothing to root.

The Elder, though impressed by Death's display of power, admitted himself that Chris and Alito's tranquil fury surprised him. For never had he saw two mortals having elemental capabilities dishing out such punishment towards their foes with such calmness, power, panache, brute force, and grace.

"It seems even we elders could be wrong for once. You all fight well, especially the both of you," the Elder praised, pointing his staff gently towards Chris and Alito.

"You flatter us, Elder. We are just doing whatever we can to prevent any more innocent beings from becoming lambs to the slaughter under any heartless forces." Chris and Alito spoke in unison as they bowed slightly.

Death had saw the onslaught of corrupted golems in Chris and Alito's wake. He was surprised to see the two women having such determination to rid **Corruption.**

_"Seems that humanity isn't really weak at all...But why do they possessed such determination still? The moment the Elder told them that Corruption would destroy their innocent kind; both Chris and Alito delivered such punishment towards our enemies. Why?"_

Never had the Pale Rider been so curious before. He always thought that he knew the world by his hand simply because he was a Horseman. He did not care too much about any matters at all, nor did he have any interest about them. All he wanted was to be alone in a dead, plain wasteland where he could live peacefully until the Apocalypse arrived.

After witnessing Chris and Alito's cold, yet calm fury, the Pale Rider crossed his arms and mused to himself...

_"For once in millennias I have never thought of it...but this is getting interesting."_


	4. The Forge Lands and Corruption! Pt1

_**Phase Two: Forge Lands!**_

_**Chapter 4 - Eidard, The Forge Lands and Corruption! Part 1**_

_**Minutes after calming down from the fight...**_

"You all fought well, but Corruption cannot be beaten by a blade. Seek out the Forge Sister; ask her about the Fire of the Mountains, she will help you reach the tree. As for me, I have to head back to my work." the sagely thick-bearded elder replied.

"And who are you to command a rider? I get that the two companions that followed me volunteered to help you and your kind because of personal reasons, but me?" Death crossed his arms and frowned.

"I am a Maker, older than even the Charred Council. These hands have laid the foundations for many worlds, but that was long ago. Now, they but hardly know the touch of stone." the Elder Maker replied calmly.

"So basically...your kind created the structures, buildings, and even constructs of this world long before the Charred Council enters...interesting. And who are the Charred Council anyway?" Chris wondered.

"The Charred Councils are Old Ones - ancient beings that the Creator Samsarel tasked to bring Order and Balance. We are older, far older, than the Charred Council." the Elder replied.

"Why are the many worlds hardly know even the things that your kinds have created? Does that have to do with the black gooey substance that we fought with just now, the ones whom you called...**Corruption**?" Chris tilted her head.

"Yes...it is a pity, of course." the Elder shook his head.

"Are you not curious as to why we are seeking the tree?" Death asked.

"I would not presume to question one of the Four...but yes, tell me." the Elder simpered.

"I must restore Humanity - to redeem War." Death clenched his fists in determination.

"Heaven and Hell battle upon the shattered Earth. All creation trembles...and at the center of it all stands your brother, the Red Rider." the Elder replied calmly.

Death frowned and replied in discontent, "He is innocent."

"I never said he wasn't." the Elder refuted calmly and continued, "And you, young women warriors, what are thou purposes?"

"We are to find the perpetrators responsible for the current dimensional disruption back in our world, and eliminate it." Chris calmly replied as Alito nodded along.

"Hmm...The Tree holds power over life and death. If you would resurrect Humanity, then you are heading in the right direction. But be warned - a dark presence dwells now within the Tree, and the path is barred by **Corruption.** Plus, the perpetrator of the dimensional disruption...is Corruption itself." the Elder replied.

"Wait...you mean the slimy substances that possessed the mini construct is the ones that are tearing the dimensional stability between our world and yours?" Chris's eyes widened slightly.

"As it does with the Tree, yes." the Elder nodded.

"Hold on..." Chris's visor glowed as her Project Tundra scanned the dormant black slime that oozed from one of the dead mini-constructs.

"What are you doing?" Death wondered.

"Isolating the particles that made up Corruption and measuring its energy levels. I have the energy levels for the dimensional disruption in my database before the mission, so if what the Elder said was the truth..." Chris's visor soon displayed the results, and her eyes widened.

_**Results of Energy Scan - Energy Level Pattern of Dimensional Disruption and Energy Level of Corruption: 100%**_

"Corruption...is indeed the perpetrator..." Chris frowned.

"Well, isn't that nice. Both of you have found the perpetrator after all. I guess that would mean we're going our separate ways then." Death grunted.

"You will still be trapped here anyway; Corruption is the end of all life itself, even Death. That dark force chokes on the Tree, and only you three can stop it. Without your help, your journey ends here..." the Elder shook his head.

Death sighed and shook his head. Chris, however, was more appreciative.

"These heartless forces of evil are not easy to beat, but that doesn't mean we will let them terrorize your innocent kind and our world. We will help you, Elder..." Chris tilted her head.

"Elder Eidard is I."

"Elder Eidard..." Chris and Alito greeted.

_**Forge Lands**_

"You figured there's nothing we could do now? Not for the both of you since the perpetrator has been spotted." Death wondered.

"Even if you refuse their help, look at it this way. One, **Elder Eidard** has more knowledge than all three of us do. Two, you will go nowhere if the **Corruption** leading to the **Tree of Life** is not dead. Three, **Corruption** can kill us all. Four, even if you don't believe jack about what the Elder says, take a look at this." Chris handed over a small picture to the Pale Rider.

"This is a picture I took using the satellite uplink earlier, this picture is taken by the Stonefather's Valley." the Icy Maiden frowned.

Death saw the picture and his eyes widened slightly - a huge spiky structure with an enormous, cat-like, lime-green eye. Humongous strands of thick, gooey Corruption vines wrapped around the path leading to the tree. Its entire structure covers nearly the entire mountain that surrounded the path to the Tree.

"That...is big." Death calmly replied, albeit with a tinge of surprise.

"Again, I'm not forcing you to decide. If you are confident, be my guest but remember, you do not want your Brothers to mourn at your ironic death, right? I sure don't want that to happen..." Chris sighed.

"My Lady is right. Yes, rescuing your brother is important. But when the obstacle at hand can kill you, the last thing you want is for them to mourn at your demise. The Seals ain't broken, so the end of you is a possibility." Alito agreed.

Death tilted his head. "Why do you care so much about me?"

Chris looked away, feeling a tide of emotions rushing towards her. However, her icy heart barely managed to suppress it as she looked down and exhaled deeply.

"I would not want history to repeat itself."

"Maybe the Makers will forge us new weapons or tools to aid us in defeating Corruption easier. We need the Fire of the Mountains first so let's go." Chris continued as she and Alito walked ahead of the pale Rider.

Death looked at the two maidens with amusement. _"What is this history that Chris is talking about? If what the Elder says is true...guess I don't have much of a choice."_

"Wait up." the Pale Rider followed along.

Chris, Alito, and Death approached an area with six wooden dummy stakes and a bunch of crates surrounding the area. A tall, large Maker with thick brown moustache, beard, a scar across his left eye, and brown hair was cleaving down at one of the wooden dummy with his axe. He was wearing a full plate mail with a red scarf around his neck.

The big, axe-wielding Maker saw Death, Alito, and Chris looking around the Forge and gave a short grunt.

"Interesting...I have never seen a human around here, let alone two," the big Maker grunted.

"You must be one of the few surviving makers that Elder Eidard mentioned. I'm Chris Fuschia, and this is my best friend Alito." the Icy Maiden bowed.

"Interesting, my name is Thane; I'm a warrior Maker...and if it ain't the Pale Rider. It's about time you came. The Makers are dying, and our realm. Only a few of us remained." he replied.

"A warrior's life isn't easy, Old One." Death replied calmly.

"Aye. Not easy, but simple." he replied. "I always saw my end with blade in hand, a field of enemy dead before me."

"And what glorious end awaits you, hiding behind these gates?" Death wondered.

"Do you mean those things you Makers called **Corruption**?" Alito wondered.

Thane sighed, "You cannot fight Corruption, nor can you harm it. You can only kill those it has claimed. Every blow I strike against Corruption...is a blow against my own people. Muse on that Rider, and the two women, before you mark me as a coward."

Chris's expression softened immediately. "I never said that you're a coward..."

"Huh?" Death and Thane wondered.

"I'm deeply sorry for your loss, Thane. It must be hard to cope with such an epidemic rising up and wiping out...most of your families..." Chris sighed, as she looked the other way, taking a deep breath before calming herself back to her usual calm state, never smiling.

Thane's eyes widened for a while. He knew that humans were capable of deceit, for he had observed the human world for millions of years, yet this was the first time he ever saw a _sincere _condolences from a _human being_, let alone anyone.

"I was expecting humans to be mocking at me, eh? Guess I was wrong about you both..." Thane shrugged.

"I never claimed to be superior to anyone, Thane. It has been hard on you, having to deal with people who unintentionally turned against you because of **Corruption**. Alito and I can help you destroy Corruption if able to prevent anymore suffering from your kind." Chris calmly suggested.

"Well, it will certainly be helpful, not that I doubt your strengths here, but a human being cannot defeat **Corruption**. You would be wise to stay clear of it." Thane cautioned.

Chris's mind snapped in a way most people would not have expected. The Icy Maiden signalled for Alito to transform to Lifebane once more and planted her huge scythe on the ground by is hilt.

"Although I never claim to be superior, but nor am I weak. Do you think we are going to let it by while Corruption slowly inches its way to destroy your world and ours, and ending your innocent kind? Not a chance..." Chris's eyes glowed blue as her calm, yet deadly voice echoed through the Forge, chilling the air, freezing nearby plants and lamps. A huge burst of aura formed around Chris and her Lifebane, knocking a surprised Thane back slightly.

Death crossed his arms. _"So...Chris and Alito had the same past as the Makers, I presume...An epidemic that wiped out their parents, perhaps? No wonder she's so determined to prevent history, right?"_

Thane, not one to back down, stepped back and wielded his axe on his right hand.

"Well, you're welcome to try, if only you defeat me. Be warned, though, my axe is pretty tough still!" the Maker grinned.

"Trust me...when I'm furious...you won't get to use it..." Chris's eyes glowed as she soon vanished!

"What?!" both Death and Thane's eyes widened greatly.

Thane could feel a chill down his thick spine as Chris appeared behind him, but it was too late for any countering.

With a sweeping left kick on Thane's back, Chris successfully blast the huge warrior Maker crashing through several walls and into a medium-sized fountain with a small statue on it.

"Makers' bone that hurts..." Thane rubbed his head as he cleared the smoke with his hands, just in time to see Chris bringing her Lifebane's blade tip close to Thane's neck.

"Thane...I do not want to do this, please." Chris looked at Thane with calmly, yet the warrior Maker could feel a tinge of remorse in those lines.

"Do you really think you can destroy Corruption?" Thane raised his left eyebrow and crossed his arms.

Chris sighed, "Since you have the same past as me...I suppose I will feel no shame in sharing them with you..."

Death too, came along to check Thane, Chris, and Alito, and managed to hear the conversation between them.

* * *

**_Twelve years ago - When Chris was eight years old._**

_"My Lady Chris…I bring you devastating news. We do not know what to say, My Lady…On this occasion, your birthday…" one of the servants nearly cried as she approached the girl._

_"Is it something to do with my family?" Chris replied. She had observed the family ever since the reunion at the Berlin Wall. Their condition has not been the best since. For the first few days after the reunion, they seemed rather weakened. Chris assumed that her family and relatives might have been so excited about catching up with the times, that they ended up tiring themselves. However, she began to see that their condition had taken a downturn._

_Chris became worried. She had since sent for the best physicians to prescribe the best medicine for them to combat the symptoms of their illness – cold, muscle ache, flu, and the lot._

_She also stayed by her parent's side, occasionally moving from room to room to take care of them, checking on their condition to make sure they were fine. She even helped the workers in Audi's financial department, who heard about the Fuschia's illness, in settling the accounts. It was usually her parents that settled this._

_Chris was also infected by the E-Coli bacterium, but she was well within two days. Doctors were wondering what had caused Chris to successfully counter the bacterium. That was, until they found out that Chris's room was covered in frosty ice on the windows and icicles upon the ceilings._

_Hours of research after the icy discovery, the doctors concluded that the E-Coli had awakened Chris's dormant power - cryokinesis._

_"Chris's cryokinesis is able to decrease her body to sub-zero temperature when contracting the , effectively rendering the bacterium useless. We concluded that she was able to control her new-found powers with practice."_

_Chris's personal servant, who was accompanying Chris at the Rosengarten for teatime, moved away to allow the physicians specially assigned to the Fuschia's family to approach Chris._

_"My Lady…this is unexpected. We recently found out that a bacterium had infected the Fuschias. This bacterium, E-Coli, is far stronger than we have anticipated; your family might have caught it due to the polluted atmosphere at the Berlin Wall twelve days ago." The doctors shook their heads._

_"What do you mean…" Chris's tone fell into a soft, deathly tone, trembling._

_"We…we have done our best."_

_Chris's cup fell to the floor. A chilling silence screamed through the backyard as she shook her head._

_"No….No, you are lying, right, doctor? You're mistaken, right? Please, tell me that you're wrong! My family, they can't! THEY CAN'T!" Chris cried._

_"My Lady! Please calm down!" her personal servant worryingly pleaded._

_"There is nothing we can do, My Lady, the epidemic outbreak arrived far sooner than we have expected, and we didn't even know its formidable power despite knowing its identity. We're really sorry…" the doctor shook his head, clearly feeling regret for the family._

_Chris could feel the world crashing down upon her, as if it was about to fall apart completely on her feet. Cold sweat broke out in her. She could even feel her heart stabbed by a razor-sharp knife. The whole family reunited and within a few months, it was torn apart by an epidemic. It shook Chris in to the very core as she tried to absorb what was left of the devastating news about her soon-to-be-dead family._

_Chris kept screaming "NO!" as she ran to the hall where her dying family was. Her tears flowing with anguish, refusing to believe what she had either heard, or what she was about to experience._

_Family Hall_

_"MOM! DAD! EVERYONE!" Chris cried in anguish as she saw that what the doctor had told her was true all along…_

_The entire Fuschia family could be seen on the stretchers._

_"Please tell me this isn't true, mum! All of you must hang in there! After all we have done and persevere to make sure that we are back together as one whole family, this has to happen? Tell me you're all alive, please!" Chris cried, tears of sorrow flowing down upon her delicate cheeks._

_Chris's mother gently shook her head._

_"It's no use….Chris, our dear girl. You have done the best you can to take care of us in our last days of our lives. We're not lying…the doctors are right about our conditions. We have not much time left in this world." She smiled sadly._

_"All this time, since you were born, you have been a gem to us; a spark of delight during the times when our family has been apart..." Chris's father spoke._

_"Chris…my dear niece, we love you and the efforts that you took to take care of us all these years. The way you brought us happiness even during our darkest days, and the contributions you bought to the automotive world warmed our heart greatly. Don't ever feel sorry for yourself, Chris. You are not at fault, never to blame for today." Chris's aunt smiled weakly._

_"Remember, Chris. We will always be indebted to the joy and happiness you gave us over the eight years. Your filial heart and respectful personality shall be the reason we can leave this world peacefully. We have a wonderful daughter to carry on the legacy of the Fuschias..." Chris's mother smiled gently, tears flowing down her face._

_Chris held out her delicate, trembling little hands as she received a small necklace from her mother; a necklace with the entire family members of the Fuschias Bloodline, all thirty of them. It represented the family reunion taken the very day after the reuniting event at the Berlin Wall._

_Chris, however, grabbed her mother's hands and held it close to her face, "Please...we can do something about this, don't close your eyes! I beg you!"_

_The other twenty-eight members of the Fuschias beckoned Chris to hold their hands as she went by their bed, one by one. The warmth of their hands that she felt slowly became colder and colder as their life slowly slipped away._

_"Thank you, Chris...you have been a filial daughter to us Fuschias..." Chris's mother weakly smiled as her voice breath soon faded away._

* * *

Thane gave a look of concern and realisation.

"Your parents...everyone...died in an epidemic caused by an illness?" the maker asked.

"Yes. We saw that your kind is suffering the same thing as my family did twelve years ago...and so we figured enough is enough." Chris did her best to stifle any form of emotions from her heart easily, but even then, Thane and Death could still picked up the Icy Maiden's sincerity.

"I have no purpose, and thus nothing to lose in life...What else is there for me to live, than to prevent your kind from threading the same history that we do." Chris gave a soft, concerned look as she drew her Lifebane back and extended her left hand, offering to help Thane up.

"Alito and I only ask if you could at least grant me this request of helping your kind, for we will help you rid Corruption by any means, or die while doing so." Chris bowed.

"No wonder you're able to empathize with what we makers are suffering right now...heh..." Thane grunted while he accepted Chris's offer.

Death stood beside Thane, blinking his eyes, speechless. His mask could not cover the shock he was feeling down his guts.

_"So that's why he wanted to help me redeem War. Fulfilling a parents' last wish..." _Death nodded softly; his respect towards the Icy Maiden and Alito grew a lot that day.

Minutes of dusting up the mess later...

"Alright then...not that I distrust you, but if you are really stubborn enough, I suggest learning from me a couple of move sets to get you started, eh? I will even let you learn a move for free!" Thane boasted, impressed by Chris and Alito's showing.

"I thank you for your kindness, Thane." Chris, back to her usual calm and cold self, nodded.

"I will take a look around and see the Forge for what it is. I will come back to you later." Death replied.

"Please do, Death." Chris and Alito replied in unison.

The Pale Rider walked away, musing about Chris's claims that she was 'dead', and snapped his bony fingers once more.

Chris was not saying she was dead; it was more on the fact that _**her humanity was dead...**_

_**Empty...no purpose at all.**_

Death could feel for Chris, if only because of what happened during the battle for Eden...

The day that he had to kill his kind...the Nephillim, for the sake of the Balance.

_"Why do you betray your own?!" _

_"Absalom, the Nephillim have no claim to Eden; Balance will be destroyed!"_

_"There are realms for Angels and Demons...why not for us?"_

_"Eden belongs to Man!"_

_"It belongs to those who take it!"_

"I always think that no one can understand how depraved we Nephilims were...Guess I was wrong." Death sighed.

_**Hours later...**_

Elder Eidard came strolling by Thane's corner with his big staff by his right hand.

"Ah...I see that you are learning new techniques from Thane. He's a very good teacher, even if he is getting on in years." Elder Eidard chuckled.

"Age isn't everything, Elder. Besides, we're grateful that he gave us a chance to help the Makers out in defeating Corruption." Chris bowed.

Elder Eidard smiled wistfully. "You don't have to say a thing...I have known all about it."

"How is it...?" Chris's eyes widened, along with Alito's eyes.

"We Makers used elements to our advantage. The Wind blows in my direction, so does your words. There is no shame in admitting that, Chris and Alito. In fact, we can understand you better about why you want to help us. For that, we appreciate your determination." Elder Eidard simpered.

"At least you have a few of your kind left..." Chris turned away, clenching her fists.

"And so, does your humanity..." Eidard replied.

"Our humanity is gone..." Chris claimed, Alito nodding in return.

"Who are you to judge humanity? You might claim it's gone, but who knows...you might still have it. Why then, do you want to fulfil your parent's last wish? If not out of love, then what is?" Eidard simpered, clutching his staff by both hands.

Chris's eyes widened, confused.

"We're only doing this because we cared for the entire Fuschia lineage."

"That proves my point..." Eidard continued smiling.

"Why is it that every people that we helped think we still have humanity...you all included?" Chris gave a look of disbelief and confusion.

"Because you are not alone..." Eidard simpered.

_**You are not alone...**_

Those were the very words that would stick on Chris's mind for two more years...

Then again, that was for another story.


	5. The Forge Lands and Corruption! Pt2

_**Chapter 5 - Eidard, The Forge Lands and Corruption! Part 2!**_

_**Author: Kanata Shinonome (Author for Phase 2)**_

_**Co-author: Mimori Kishida (Phase 2)**_

_**Guest Author: Tomoyo Itano (For Chapter 6)**_

_**Illustrator: Katagiri Atsuko, Mayu Watanabe Type III (Phase 2)**_

"We've been awaiting your arrival, Horseman. Your shadow has long hovered over this realm." a tall woman Maker donning a blue armor with white highlights and long white hair spoke with a tinge of sadness.

The tall woman Maker has a blue cloth wrapped around her eyes and the white highlights formed symbols like rectangles, stone rings, and flowers. She wore blue lavender on her hair.

"Many know the Reaper, Old One, but I don't know you." Death wondered.

"We are the builders of this world. But Corruption seethes at its heart and destroys in days what we shaped over eons. Eidard does his best to soothe our pain, but our souls yearn for only one comfort...Death. We are without hope." the woman Maker sighed.

"You despair, old one, and yet you raise life from the earth." Death questioned in amusement.

"I am a Shaman. Eidard and I bound to our tasks even as our days darken. We are as the vines, coming to root, then to flower and then to decay, dropping seeds upon the dust. A circle everlasting...I cannot stop it...nor can I stop you." the Shaman explained calmly.

"The cycle of life and death it is, then..." the Pale Rider replied.

_**At the same time...**_

"There are alternatives still...A way to prevent more death from happening..." Chris shook her head calmly.

She continued, "To know the battle, thou shalt know the enemy. Tell us, Elder Eidard, what is Corruption?"

Elder Eidard sighed, "Muria and I only know what we fear it to be. Corruption is Hate, given life. That Hate, however, does not come from trees nor stones...but from us."

"I don't follow it. If it comes from us, then the world would be different by now. A specific avatar must have conjured up this darkness within people, turning them into the thick, black, tar-like substances with brainwashing capabilities. Who?" Chris wondered.

"That I do not know, but all I am certain is that Corruption begin seeping into our world shortly after the events of the War for Eden. At first, it only seems as it is just a minor inconvenience, but soon it spreads like a virus and we can do nothing to stop it. As Thane said, every blow we strike, it is a blow against our kind. For millions of years we managed to isolate it though, but we Makers fear that even isolation will not work anymore." the Elder replied.

"Corruption happening shortly after the Eden War mayhem; what is the **Eden War**?" Alito wondered.

"It happened millions and millions ago. **Nephillim**s, hybrids of Angels and Demons, used to inhabit **Eden**. However, the **Charred Council** foretold that a third kingdom will arise and be integral towards the Balance as they are weak, but cunning." Elder Eidard explained.

"I assume that the **Third Kingdom** is that of **Man**, right?" Chris wondered.

"Yes. Because of the foresight, the **Charred Council** forced the **Nephilims** into exile. Driven by madness, feeling that they should be the rightful owners of **Eden**, the **Nephilims** waged an all-out genocide. They put countless realms to the sword, and burned them to ashes. But Four among them grew weary of the slaughter, and feared the **Nephilims'** conquest would imperil the **Balance**." Elder Eidard took a deep breath before continuing.

"And so, a truce was made: The Four would serve the **Council**, in exchange for unimaginable power. Thus were the dreaded Horsemen formed, and the riders' first task was to purge their own brethren from **Creation**...To annihilate the **Nephillim**...and destroy their souls." Elder Eidard explained.

"Okay...back to the topic of **Corruption**. We know the enemy's modus oprendi; we need something to defeat it." Chris replied.

"We need the **Guardian** to defeat it. It is a giant construct built to fight against **Corruption**. An earthquake caused by **Corruption**, however, severed our links with the Guardian before it was finished. You will need the **Makers' Key**, but restoration to the **Fire and Tears of the Mountain** is necessary. As I have said earlier, seek **Alya the Forge Sister**. She will help you with more information about the **Stonefather's Blood**." Elder Eidard explained calmly.

"Our guess is that **the Fire and Tears** were blocked by **Corruption**, yes?" Alito asked.

The Elder nodded.

Chris and Alito looked at each other and nodded softly.

"We would take our leave for a moment**, Elder Eidard**. There are pieces of the puzzle we must solve before preparation towards the **Fire of the Mountain**." Chris replied.

"You may, Chris and Alito..." Elder Eidard simpered.

As the Icy Maiden and her best friend took their leave, Thane approached Eidard after returning from his weapon sharpening.

"Two wounded souls seeking redemption, perhaps?" Thane asked.

"They might not admit it because they think they are beyond redemption. Can't say that I blame them; a family of thirty dying within a matter of twenty-four hours...They will realize it soon enough, I have faith in them." Eidard simpered.

"I will give 'em that. I thought humans were known only for their cunning that makes me disrespect them to an extent. Guess I have never been more wrong in my life; not all humans are like that. To see Chris and Alito uphold their values greatly in the name of their fallen loved ones. Pity, they have to go prematurely." Thane sighed.

"It's not a matter of 'how'...it's a matter of 'when'." Eidard nodded.

Once Chris and Alito gained enough distance from **Elder Eidard**...

"The **Crowfather** said that Death killed his brothers and the pale Rider ain't proud of it. Death is a part of the Four Horsemen. Before that, the four are part of a race called Nephilims, the race that they killed." Chris mused.

"The only way Death and his three other brothers could have killed their kind is during the **Eden War**. Does it have to do with the amulet fragments embedded upon the Pale Rider's chest?" Alito wondered.

"Do you have a theory behind it?" Chris tilted her head.

"Yes, my Lady. You see, the amulet is housing all the tormented souls of the **Nephilims** whom he slayed, right? Since Death isn't proud of the killing, but has no other choice because of the Balance, Death gave the amulet to the **Crowfather**. Guilt played a part for the Pale Rider to make this decision." Alito explained.

"Mmm...Most likely. The **Nephilims**, driven mad by the **Charred Council's** decision, conducted mass genocides and imperilled the Balance. What if..." Chris's eyes widened.

"What is it, my Lady?" Alito's eyes lit.

"Madness infecting **Nephilims**...Driven by rage...Death killing his kind because he had no choice...Assuming betrayal...**Corruption** is hate given life..." Chris's iris and pupils shrunk and darkened. "An avatar - a **Nephilim,** controls the **Corruption**."

"That avatar could be someone close to Death. Look at it this way, who could have harboured so much hatred to manifest such an infectious disease on all **Creation**?" Alito wondered.

"Someone must have instilled enough hate on that avatar to rebel against the Council, and manifest itself as **Corruption** after his death." Chris frowned.

"Shall we ask Death about it, my Lady?" Alito requested.

Chris looked at the tall and huge door leading into the **Makers' Forge**; two big tablets with the symbol of fire and water embedded on the mountains' peak, glowing with pride. The Icy Maiden gave a quiet sigh.

"Death has heard about my past...he has the same thing as I did; his close ones infected with a disease. Let's see how this goes about first, shall we? First, however, we need to activate the Guardian with the **Makers' Key**. That requires the **Fire and Tears**, so off we go to **Alya**." Chris instructed.

"Yes, my Lady." Alito simpered, and gently tugged Chris's right hand before the latter made her move.

"Huh?" Chris looked back at Alito and saw her worried face.

"Be careful alright, my Lady?" Alito hoped.

Chris wrapped her arms around her best friend's waist and brought her close to a heart-warming embrace. The Icy Maiden knew that only Alito could bring her the solace she needs while travelling the grey line.

Alito's heart leapt as she felt a blush crept through her rosy cheeks while returning the embrace.

_**At the same time...**_

"Maker's beard, the rumours are true! A Horseman in the Forge Lands! The name's **Alya**, and this is my brother, **Valus**. We are the Blacksmiths of this Forge. Tho' I reckon that means less now, than once it did." A redhead Maker welcomed.

She was about the size of **Elder Eidard** and **Muira**, wore dark red and white clothes with golden spiral necklace around her neck, and metallic skirts around her waists. Besides her was a male Maker the size of **Alya**, wearing a welding mask, a hammer, and a blade. He wore brown, furry scarf around his neck and the same armor as Alya - signifying their connections as siblings.

Death chuckled and shrugged. "This is a **Maker's Forge**?"

"Nay." Alya replied, "The **Maker's Forge** is lost to us, silenced by the hands of **Corruption. **However, in its depths we once crafted the Dark Towers of Hell and the Cities of Heaven."

"Now you make...trinkets?" Death mocked.

Alya was quick to rebut, "And you - one of the Four - now seek the aid of the makers? I guess we all have fallen from high places."

Death looked back at the crystals embedded upon his left chest and grunted in defiance.

"I came here seeking the tree, and your Elder speaks of fire. What is it?" Death wondered.

"Aye, the **Fire of the Mountain** - the **Stonefather's Blood** - it once flowed into our forge as did the tears. Both imbued our craft with incredible power. The Heart and the Soul of Stone, but Corruption has taken them and now our forge is silent." Alya shook her head.

"How does this concern me?" Death replied calmly.

"The way to the tree is lost, barred by Corruption. You can no more leave this place than we. Restore our forge, and the tree can be reached." Alya replied.

Death frowned. "I don't follow your reasoning."

"We're blacksmiths Makers, not warriors - but we're not without our weapons." Alya replied, "Before the Forge was lost, we crafted a mighty creäture of soul and stone...a colossus to fight this Corruption - the **Guardian**. But, to awaken him requires a Maker's Key - and we need our Forge to craft one. Will you help us?" Alya requested.

_"You have our words..."_

Chris and Alito approached beside Death, their capes flowing with the gentle breeze.

"You must be the Maker Alya that Elder Eidard mentioned, right? Nice to meet you - my name is Chris Fuschia, and this is my loyal servant and friend, Alito Gnade. We are allies of Death, for now." Chris greeted calmly.

"Ah...Elder Eidard has told us about your arrival too! Even when the both of you are from other dimension, it is still surprising for humans to set foot into the Forge Lands! That's great!" Alya smiled brightly.

"Humans...We're not humans anymore, Alya, but we appreciate your welcome as usual." Chris bowed.

"Not humans? But..." Alya scratched her head when Death interrupted, "Alya, we have no time to waste. Tell us where the Fire of the Mountain is so we can get these over."

The redhead Maker saw Chris and Alito's calm, cold, yet polite expression on her face, sighed, and decided to respect their privacy for a while.

"Right...Ridding of **Corruption** is of utmost importance. The **Cauldron** is where the **Fire of the Mountain** flows." Alya replied.

"What is this...**Cauldron**?" Death wondered.

"A temple built in the shadow of **Stonefather's Peak. **There the **Fire of the Mountain **was harnessed and passed into our forge. Ride East from the Makers' Forge. Ride through the **Charred Pass **and towards the cindery peak of the Stonefather. There you will find the **Cauldron.**" Alya replied.

"How do we distinguish the Charred pass?" Chris wondered.

"You will be able to distinguish the **Charred Pass **by the reddish, smoky atmosphere brought about by the volcanoes in the **Stonefather**. Molten lavas will erupt and land upon the grassy lands occasionally, so you have to be on your toes." Alya explained.

The Pale Rider saw the quiet Valus hammering down upon one of his crafted swords on an anvil.

"Man of no words, your brother." Death crossed his arms in amusement.

"Aye...but he's hardly silent. His voice is the ring of the hammer, and the roar of the white flame." Alya boasted.

"Yeah, he does things while you talk." Death chuckled sarcastically as he turned to watch Valus, just in time to see a shocking scene.

"Do you love crafting interesting things, Valus?"

Chris was looking at Valus hammering a mini sword on a heated anvil with a soft look on her eyes.

"Mmm...mmm!" Valus nodded in excitement, grunting in satisfaction.

Chris's thought wandered back to that of her father's underground blacksmith forge, a cave-like, ragged, and dimly lit room. The Icy Maiden could feel a small, gentle smile upon her face.

_"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" the young Chris, six years old, jumped around her father excitedly like a bubbly child._

_"Hahaha...easy there, Chris; you will hurt yourself if you jump around far too much!" her father cautioned softly._

_"Chris, be careful there!" Alito, who was twelve years old, chuckled._

_"Come look at this, Alito, lotsa lotsa springy thingies!" the young Chris shot out with a grin on her face._

_"Waaaa..." Chris's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she saw at the transmission and suspensions that her father and workers created out of welding and hand craft alone._

"Mmmmpppfff!"

Chris snapped out of her dreamy thought and saw that Valus had scalded his right hand on the scorching anvil.

"Valus!" Chris's eyes widened with worry as she approached the male Blacksmith Maker.

"Alito, could you come here for a while if you please?" the Icy Maiden shot out.

Her loyal servant rushed over to help Chris out.

"The burn needs a steady stream of ice and a bandage. Do you have any?" Chris asked.

"Right over here, my Lady!" Alito took out the four-dimensional cube and materialised a triangular bandage.

"Just hold on, Valus...We will soothe that burning pain of yours in no time..." Chris looked at the Blacksmith Maker with gentle eyes as she muttered a few arcane, German words and slowly blew out a steady stream of icy breath onto Valus's burnt right gauntlet.

Chris turned to Alito and nodded. The latter wrapped the triangle bandage around Valus's right gauntlet in a slow, circular motion while Chris continuously exhaled cold air around it.

"You'll be alright...Don't you worry, mm?" Chris gave a concern look once more, Alito smiled along giving Valus a thumb up.

Valus nodded as he grunted, waving his left hand as thanks.

Death looked on, nodding at what he had seen in front of his eyes.

"I have to admit...I'm surprised. A cold person like her wouldn't have such a nice heart underneath." Death's eyes widened.

After Chris and Alito were done with the healing, the former's relief faded into a wistful gaze.

"Be careful next time, alright? Your sister cannot always be by your side and apply first-aid kits on you. Take care of yourself, mm?" Chris tilted her head in hope.

Valus nodded and grunted in approval once more.

Chris and Alito then approached the Pale Rider, her expression now reduced back to her once emotionless frown.

"Let's go...Death, to the Cauldron." Chris spoke calmly.

"Chris, Alito!" Alya shot out.

Chris stopped on her track, and so did Alito.

"Thanks for helping Valus out. It's not often do we have cases like this, but it certainly is nice to have outside help once in a while." Alya simpered.

Chris and Alito turned their head and nodded softly before taking their leaves.

"Both of them sure have something inside them...but I guess their past torments them; poor thing." Alya sighed.

"No need for pity...I guess they can stand on their own. Though I would say, that was a shocking display of warmth, even if they are going to deny it. Honest." Death replied in amusement.

_"Are you coming along, Pale Rider?" _Chris's voice echoed from Thane's corner.

Death sprinted towards the area, leaving Valus and Alya behind.

"Again...tormented pasts they have, aren't they, those two women." Alya looked wistfully.

"Of course..." a deep and familiar sagely voice sounded behind the redhead Maker.

"Elder Eidard, you think of that too?" Alya wondered.

The big Elder Maker approached beside the redhead.

"Their wounded soul, blaming themselves for not being able to rescue their whole family of thirty from an epidemic for Chris, and a civil war for Alito...Just like the time when Death has no other choice but to kill his kind for the sake of the Balance." Elder Eidard looked on.

_**Exit of the Forge - East gate**_

Chris, Alito, and Death got ready to leave through the East gate of the Forge. Thane was standing there, waiting for their arrival.

"We're ready for the Cauldron, Old One." Chris nodded.

"Horseman, Alito, Chris, you'll find naught that way but trouble." Thane replied calmly.

"Do what you must for your kin, old one. For us, we ride to the **Cauldron**." Death nodded.

Thane grunted, "If you fancy your **Corruption** waist deep, that's as good a place as any. Y'know there's a reason this gate is here. And, if you three were friends of mine, I would nay let you pass. But then, heh, who is friend to Death? I doubt the two maidens are friends of yours too, that's for sure."

"You two, on the other hand, be warned. There's too much people who have succumbed to Corruption over the ages. It's good that you are helping us, but caution is a must." Thane warned the Icy Maiden and her servant calmly.

"We'll take your advice, old one. But we hold no promises." Chris replied.

"Is there any secrets to the Cauldron, Thane? Have you wisdom to share it, or was it long since knocked loose in battle?" Death wondered.

"Oh, wisdom ain't like teeth. I've plenty left. Enough to stay clear of the **Cauldron**; the ancients filled it with right nasty traps. But one so clever as yourself, and as cool as you both, will surely elude them." Thane chuckled.

"What kind of traps? Would you be so kind as to tell us some assortment of traps your ancestors had created? Or has age crept upon you like a moss on a rock?" Chris spoke calmly.

"You have your way with words, young lady." Thane chuckled, "There are plenty of gateway that spewed out lava, and even timed platforms that will put your reflexes to the test. Construct guards existed in the Cauldron to prevent intruders, though I suspect that Corruption might mug 'em crazy too. Once you get there, you will know. I'm sure your tech can scan them through, shouldn't be that hard! Besides, the icicle powers that I felt should resist melting for few minutes."

"Thanks for the tip, old one."

Chris and Alito nodded as the two women and Death left.

_**The route to the Charred Path - East from the Makers' Forge.**_

Just earlier, Chris gave Death a communicator device to communicate wirelessly on the move.

"I have to say...I am surprised about you being kind towards Valus." Death spoke in amusement as he rode along his spectral horse Despair.

"For an entity that would not care about anyone other than your brothers, you sure have concerns for us." Chris, driving her Audi Le Mans Quattro with Alito, replied calmly.

"You have said about your past to Eidard and us. There is no escaping it now. If you think you will suffer no pain despite your emotionless personality for most, what is it stopping you from just _saying it_?" Death frowned.

Chris, Alito, and Death travelled for several miles east from the Forge Lands via the Stonefather's Vale before the icy Maiden looked down, sighed, and began explaining her reasons for helping Valus.

"My father... he used to be the manager of quattro GmBH. However, unlike other manager who just simply sat in their office, pour in a glass of vodka and relax, my father works with follow workers in the division group. He helped the workers in the handcraft and blacksmith department since some parts of the cars require handcrafts like wheels. He also helps in improving the communication flow between all the sub-divisions inside quattro GmBH, making him very popular." Chris explained.

"So..." Death wondered.

"Whenever I'm free, mostly during the weekends, I always accompany my dad in the handcraft and blacksmith department. I am always a car nut, as people have called me over the years, so I loved to see what goes on behind my father's factory. When I see Valus, it just reminds me about the time when my father works in those department. I constantly helped with serving refreshments to the workers during that time. The workers gradually grew to like my presence, which is why when I became Icy Maiden...I still treated my workers like friends." Chris sighed.

_**Flashback**_

_"Workers, would you like some drinks? You all worked hard enough; chrysanthemum teas, orange juices, iced water and warm honey drinks!" the young Chris, six years old, gave a bright and innocent smile as she held a tray of drinks along with a twelve year old Alito. _

_"Oh, the president's daughter bringing drinks?" one of the workers expressed elation._

_The workers gathered around the two girls with relieved faces and gratefulness._

_"Thanks for bringing us the drinks!" one brown-hair male worker simpered._

_"You all have worked yourselves hard, so we figured that you all deserved some water breaks and some entertainment every now and then just so you can all chill out for a while!" Chris smiled cutely._

_"Really?" one of the workers shot out in elation._

_"Mmm! Alito, ya ready?" the six year old girl shot out._

_"As you are, my Lady!" Alito nodded in excitement as she brought out a traditional flute._

_Chris sang "Die Gedanken sind frei' (Thoughts are free, who can guess them?). Although she hit some verses off-tune over the course over the song, the workers felt invigorated by the drinks, Chris, and Alito's peppiness. The workers soon found themselves chiming and swaying along with Chris's singing and Alito's flute playing._

_When Chris and Alito hit their last verse and notes, the two girls held their left and right hands and spread out their offhand wide. _

_"Thanks for the entertainment!" _

_"Let's do it again sometime!"_

_"Your singing is sweet!"_

_"You're welcome!" both Chris and Alito twirled around and bowed, eliciting chuckles from the workers._

"I see...you are filial towards your family. That's honorable enough." Death sighed. "It seems you are not as cold as people thought you might be."

"You might want to keep this to yourself, Death. I respect your thoughts, I hope you respect mine." Chris frowned.

"Hey, not judging alright." Death grunted.

"For someone who was sarcastic..." Alito frowned.

"Look, Alito. Just because I am like that, does not always mean I will treat every single being like a punching bag for mocking. I will give respect when respect is due, and both of you deserve that. Besides...it ain't your fault your parents died. I have been through worse, but now's not the time." Death shot back, and lowered his head while sighing.

Alito looked down and sighed. "Sorry then..."

Death sighed once more. "Can't say that I blame you; I am normally like this to anyone who isn't of the same race as mine."

"Speaking about families...If you have Strife and Fury left, why didn't you send them over to help you?" Chris wondered.

"I have them search for evidence leading to the conspirators while I restore humanity. They are not strong enough to deal with the task I'm taking on as they are not under the power of the Seven Seals. At least I have enough base power even when I do not have the Seals' powers. Besides, it will be too dangerous for them, especially with the Makers' claim that Corruption is as strong as the Four Horsemen are. I'm the strongest, and so I can match up to the Corruption, at least." Death sighed.

Chris simpered. "It's great to see that you do care for your siblings."

"I can say the same for you and Alito, but I hope you can keep it to yourselves." Death grunted.

Soon enough, after manoeuvring themselves through the volcanoes-infested Charred Pass, the trio made it to a circular arena with a huge, wooden door attached upon two thick chains.

In the middle of the arena, a big, chubby and bald maker with about the same size as Valus, Eidard, and Alya swung his big hammer with jagged edges at several corrupted golems. He was wearing the same armor as Thane - blue armor with a mixture of metal and cloth with a big metallic coin-like medallion covering his chest.

"More of those constructs..." Chris frowned as Alito transformed into Lifebane."

"Damn it..." Death grumbled.


	6. Do you think Death is proud of this?

_**Chapter 6: Fury and Strife: Do you think Death is proud of this?**_

_**Chapter 6's author: Tomoyo Itano the eleventh Tomochin **_

_**Shortly after Death's departure to the Icy Veil**_

"Calling us to search for the conspirators while he claimed that he can restore humanity to clear War's name...We could have helped him, and he said he's searching for someone on the Veil and doing the task alone...If it's not for the fact we are brothers, I would not even give damnation about helping him. In fact, I shouldn't even help Death in the first place." Strife grumbled.

"Look, Strife, there's no need for much grumbling. I know you still hold a grudge for him after he embarrassed you during the Abomination Era, but that isn't a reason for a hundred and eighty degree turn right?" Fury sighed.

"Don't even talk about that! Death simply looking at me going, 'What makes you think, I can't' pisses me off yet I can't do anything about it! Who does he think he is, boss? I tell you, were it not for saving our fellow brother War, I would not even agree to the Pale Rider AT ALL!" Strife snapped.

"ENOUGH, STRIFE! Even if you don't agree with Death most of the time, at least try to understand where he's coming from!" Fury sighed.

"What makes you think you know better, sis? He killed the entire race of our kind, and don't go on and give me that 'Their conquest will imperil the Balance' or some such crap! They might be other ways, yet we have to go by Death's order to kill the Nephilims!" the Rider of the White Horse shot back.

"Don't you think that Death is guilty as well?" Fury snarled.

Strife stopped his rambling instantly, silence screamed in return.

"So you think that Death is not remorseful about it, right? Do you even know that Death was hiding all that guilt, all of those emotions of sorrow, grief, anger, and guilt inside his mask? Do you think that he is proud of it? NO!" Fury screamed.

Strife's eyes widened, he used to be the grumbling and angriest of the Four but he never expected Fury to flare out at him.

"He knew that he has no other choice but to kill them; he has exhausted all other options! He kept his emotions inside his mask because he is guilty! Just be in Death's shoes and think, for Samsarel's sake, about what you will do if you are faced with that same situation." Fury chided.

"I thought he wore the mask because he's a reaper." Strife frowned.

"No, he did not! What, so you think he wears this mask just to say, 'Oh yeah, I am the Reaper and I have the power to eliminate every single living things on the planes of Creation!'? No! Just like how you wear your mask to hide your frustration, he wore his to mask his guilt! For eons after eons, he may seem to have mastered it but he still has that amulet, ya know! As long as the amulet exists, he will constantly have that thought about the kinds that died by his hands. He is not even proud of it! If War can understand, why couldn't you?" Fury chided.

"I..." Strife's eyes widened.

"All you did was grumbling about Death becoming the leader for no apparent reason, while he is constantly struggling between forgiving himself, being the Leader of us Four, maintaining the Balance, reporting to the Charred Council, dealing with ancient evils that he have more knowledge than we do, and keeping a straight face for eons on end!" Fury began walking away, but not before turning to him and continued...

"I'm your sister, and even then, sometimes I have to let you understand just how lucky you are. Your job is to maintain the Balance, that is all to it. But Death has to do this, and more, for eons!" Fury gave a disappointed look upon her yellow eyes and walked away, leaving a shocked Strife looking at the Rider of the Black Horse's back.

_**Hours later...**_

Strife sat on one corner and shook his head.

_"I never believed that Death would even be guilty...I thought he's that bossy type who just goes about as and when he so pleases, and to think that he had to carry the guilt of killing our brothers for eons." _Strife shook his head.

_"Carrying all those emotions underneath that bony mask of his, and to think I have it worse because I have to take follow his orders all the damn time." _Strife sighed.

"Damnation. To think that Death still has emotions left within him; I might still not like him...but I guess we're still family." the Rider of the White Horse grumbled as he summoned his White Horse - Conquest.

"We have a lot to talk about, Death...I will help you, though..." Strife frowned.

_**Forge Lands - After Death, Chris, and Alito departed to the Charred Pass...**_

"Their wounded soul, blaming themselves for not being able to rescue their whole family of thirty from an epidemic for Chris, and a civil war for Alito...Just like the time when Death has no other choice but to kill his kind for the sake of the Balance." Elder Eidard looked on.

"Hey! Is there any Blacksmith Maker here?" a grumbling voice sounded from behind.

Elder Eidard and Alya turned their backs.

"Maker's Beard, another Horseman in the Forge Lands!" Alya's eyes widened.

"Yeah, thanks, Maker of the Obvious!" Strife sighed in exasperation.

"Ah...The Rider of the White Horse, is something troubling you that prompt you in seeking the Makers' help?" Elder Eidard stroked his beard.

"Where's Death?" Strife wondered.

"Well, he's off to the Cauldron and won't be back for a few hours or so." Alya replied. "Wait, how did you know that Death is somewhere around here?"

"A black crow, claiming to be the Crowfather's last will conveniently land on my shoulders when I want to search for Death's whereabouts. His black crows managed to summon a portal leading Fury and I here." Strife huffed.

Elder Eidard told Strife all he needed to know about the current situation - the Corruption.

Strife sighed as he did a facepalm.

"My brother told me that I can't follow him because I have to follow Fury in searching for War's conspirators while he finds a way to restore humanity. You know, he always is a bit of a dick and loves to do things alone. Still, guess he cared about Fury and my safety more than before because of that **Corruption**. Still, I cannot help but think he needs some firearm to defeat certain little critters along the way." he grumbled.

"I will make it direct; I am going to help the Pale Rider out, but indirectly- of course." Strife took out a silver single-barrel gun with flowing line and runic wordings engraved on its body.

"This is one of my pistols, Redemption. Give it to Death when he returns from the Cauldron." Strife frowned as he handed the single barrel pistol to Alya.

"That's...surprising, given your namesake." Alya looked at the pistol in amusement.

"I urge you to keep your comments to yourself. Don't even tell Death about why I placed my pistol in your possession." Strife frowned before walking away to his waiting Conquest.

"But it's still..." Alya scratched her head.

"Look, just because my name is 'Strife', doesn't mean that I will just flip a table when I'm pissed about some crap, right?" Strife did a facepalm as he left.

As Strife fade into the distance, Alya looked at Elder Eidard in amusement.

"Well...that happened." Alya chuckled and shrugged.

"Strife and Death might have differences and conflicted thoughts...but know this, Alya; they will still be family nonetheless." Elder Eidard stroked his beard, laughing softly.

Back in the plains of Death, Fury was rather surprised that Strife had only Mercy upon his right hand.

"Strife...your Redemption..." the Rider of the Black Horse wondered.

"Yeah...I decided to help Death by lending Redemption to him." Strife sighed.

Fury's eyes widened. "You mean..."

"Let's go and do what he wants us to do; we're wasting hell of a time!" Strife grunted.

Fury found herself smiling. _"Strife might feel some sort of indifference to Death still,_ _at least he still have some sort of respect for the pale Rider..."_

The Rider of the Black Horse summoned her spectral horse, Famine, and shot out, "Wait up, Strife! You're not going to deal with the task at hand yourself!"


	7. Restoring the Forge - Mountain's Voice!

_**Chapter Seven: Restoring the Forge - The Mountain's Voice!**_

_**After seeing that the bald Maker needs help...**_

"So there's the same small constructs and constructs with full Corruption Crystals growing around their charred bodies, then again, it would not be much of a problem." Chris frowned as she charged into the fray with her Lifebane.

Chris, Alito, Death, and the bald Maker managed to destroy the construct swarms.

After the last of the constructs crumbled on the floor and vanished into thin air...

"Ah, the tears be true! A Rider and two humans from the other dimension have come to our realm!" the Bald Maker chuckled.

Chris and Alito bowed lightly as Death crossed his arms and grumbled.

"Hmmm...Not another one." the Pale Rider frowned.

"You must be a **Nephillim**, the one they call Death. You both women must be Chris and Alito. **Elder Eidard** contacted me about the arrival of the three of you through the wind. How did you three get here?" the bald Maker wondered.

"Took a wrong turn; it seems we're stranded here with the rest of you." Death replied calmly.

"If you seek the **Cauldron**, you should know that it fell to **Corruption **fair long ago. I can still feel the fire itself rumbling deep in the earth." the bald maker warned.

"We will take our chances." Death dismissed, while Chris and Alito nodded.

"Who are you? You look different from the other Makers on our eyes for one." Chris wondered.

"Heh! I could say no less for all of you, especially it's the first time I see humans in the **Forge Lands**, even if you're from other dimension. Folks around town call me pup or lad, but I prefer my own name...**Karn.**" the bald Maker simpered.

"Pup, it is then." Death replied in amusement.

"It's okay, matters not to me." Karn shrugged.

Chris nodded. "Karn, right? That's a nice name. Just wondering, you're restoring the Fire of the Mountain, right?"

"Yeah, I came here to pop the cork so to speak. Be a hero, ya? You three look capable enough; I will guard the entrance for you if you want." Karn chuckled.

"Are you sure you can handle it on your own? The Corruptions are themselves very dangerous despite your size." Chris asked worryingly.

"Sure thing, those golems ain't got anything on me!" Karn grinned.

Chris mused for a moment and summoned an ice clone in the same height as her.

"This is for insurance; safety. She will be able to help you in countering the corrupted golems in the event they charge on over." Chris replied calmly.

"Thanks, lass! I would appreciate some help every occasionally, though. Heh..." Karn grinned.

"Be careful..." Chris patted Karn's right leather gauntlet softly, prompting a raised right eyebrow from the Pale Rider once more.

_**Once inside the Cauldron...**_

The dungeon was filled with molten lava flowing from giant pipes, sewers, and destroyed floors. Ruined, chipped floors decorated around the floor, with dead crawlers creeping around the floors, walls, and even wooden stumps. Conveyor belts transported big cauldrons, pouring gallons of hot liquid down onto the river of lavas.

"So...this is the home of the **Fire of the Mountains**. Time is a wastin', so let's get it done ASAP." Chris frowned.

"Well, at least we all have a common goal, for now. Keep up with me or you're toast." Death frowned.

Chris and Alito nodded.

Chris, Alito, and Death encountered tall spikes of green and black crystals with the same black gooey substance found on the Corrupted Golems earlier.

"It is crystals hardened in the form of **Corruption**." Death grunted.

Chris used her Project Tundra to scan the area and detected a pod with a small spiky ball made of **Corruption**. It was flickering with sparks and smokes emitted from the pod as if it was about to explode.

"Bad things and bad things cancel each other out; those volatile Corruption bomb pod should prove useful." Chris noted.

"I will get it." Alito nodded without hesitation as her eyes glowed pale green and summoned a strong but sustainable wind to pick up the spiky bomb over to her side.

"I never said I need your help." Death crossed his arms.

"Face it, Death. My Lady is right; like it or not, we will die if we do not help one another out, Corruption is growing and we have to work fast." Alito spoke calmly, just as the explosions cleared off the crystals and revealed a lever.

Groups of Corrupted mini golem constructs spawned right of the grounds like squirrels, ready to pounce on them.

"Ready?" Chris frowned.

"Always up for a fight." Death frowned.

In the short fight that ensued for one minute, the team managed to tear through the constructs' solid defenses with no problems at all. Their blades hit their foes' critical points, dishing out sever damage as the metal blade body sliced through their body like hot butter.

After a minute of short, but intense fighting, the golems' armor scattered across the floor.

"You seemed to enjoy killing from the way you swing your scythes smoothly like an acrobat; the way you tore through their hard bodies and even unleash your flipsaw and boomerang scythe attack." Chris complimented.

"Unlike my brother, I view killing as an art, a way in describing myself as an executioner without regret." Death replied calmly.

As Death pushed the lever and opened up the metal door guard upon Chris's right...

"An executioner...Why do people call you an executioner, or even Death? It must be more than killing everyone, right?" Chris asked.

Death slowly, but methodically crossed the distance between him and both the icy maiden and the wind maiden. Each footstep seemed deadly clear, crisp, and solid, despite the ruffling leaves made by the swishing winds.

"I thought you promised to respect my privacy?" Death frowned.

"You heard my past. Wouldn't you do the same by disclosing some of your origins?" Chris frowned.

Silence screamed in return.

_"Do you think I'm alive? I'm dead, as far as I am concerned..."_

Chris's earlier claim that her humanity had died caused her to be fearless of death, which elicited respect from him, for never in his lifetime had he seen anyone going against him. Except for his brother, War.

Death's eyes drooped as he turned away and sighed.

Death knew that he had the same past as the women, what did he have to lose?

"Do you really want to know my past?" Death asked.

"Yes." Chris and Alito replied firmly.

Death looked at the embedded crystal fragments on his left chest, sighed once more and start to walk towards the door.

"I'll tell you when the time comes. Until then...stay alive." Death frowned.

As Chris, Alito, and Death climbed the wooden pillars, and hop from plank to plank over the river of lava in the next room...

"Alito, hold my hand!" Chris shot out in worry when her best friend accidentally slipped up upon the last wooden plank and nearly fell to her death.

Alito mustered her strength and managed to wall-climb her way into the wooden boards, sweat breaking out of her foreheads.

After everyone barely got onto the other sides, Chris embraced Alito tightly and both women never uttered a word; relieved that the latter managed to brush off an escape with death.

The Pale Rider looked on, looked down on the floor, and looked upon the amulet's fragments upon his left chest once more.

_"Humanity...Chris is willing to protect her only confidante...Just like mine protecting the Four Horsemen when they are all that I have left..." _Death looked on forlornly.

As they travelled halfway through the dungeon, the trio felt tremors as a big Construct Warrior Golem with two brown cylinders and a metallic circle on its back. It held a large wooden stake as it charged upon the fray with two more Corrupted Warriors.

The trio managed to dodge the linear attack as the Pale Rider summoned three ghouls to attack the Corrupted.

Falling completely for the ghouls' luring spell, the Corrupted warriors attacked the ghouls instead, giving Death the chance to unleash a powerful shockwave from his possessed armblades - the Slice of Death.

With the techniques she learnt from Thane, Chris merged her dual Lifebane together to form a large Lifebane and threw a flipsaw boomerang straight towards the unfortunate golems, tearing their bodies apart.

"It seems you picked up skills very well, Chris and Alito." Death mused.

"Our mechanical, biological, and magical augmentations, Death. But tht is for a later time..." Chris frowned.

Along the way, Chris managed to retrieve a strange-looking platter with the same carving as all the other Makers had on their waist, but not on Karn's waist.

_"Karn must be worried about his precious platter."_ Chris kept it, deciding to return to Karn after defeating the perpetrator of the Cauldron's fiasco.

Mobs after mobs, golems after golems, and platform after platform they scaled through without any problem, until they reached the last door leading to the Cauldron's big lever.

"This is it...the big one." Chris exhaled deeply.

Death, Chris, and Alito was just about to head towards the last door when a metal guard shut the door.

The trio felt a vibration coming towards their left and they turned towards the impending direction. Large stomps vibrated the ground from miles away and a grinding sound soon followed. A large roar soon echoed the entire cauldron as without warning, the wall burst open, revealing a big corrupted golem with brown wheel-like object behind its back. Its right hand has a large grinding spike ball and its left hand glowed with Corruption. Its face was a twisted cocktail of insanity, suffering, hate, and fear as the beast roared once more and charged into the fray.

Chris, Alito, and Death ducked the linear attack easily, leaving the golem to charged straight into a thick wall on the other side and disintegrated it.

"Golem's name goes by the name of Gharn. A corrupted Golem Sentry that used to guard the Cauldron, but now seemed to prevent the Fire of the Mountains from flowing into the Stonefather's blood." Alito used her Project Tundra's scanning to detect it.

"We had better..." Chris frowned, just in time for Death to make a second leap behind the Corrupted Golem, launched a flipsaw that caused the golem to flinch and another flipsaw, which knocked the golem once more.

Sensing that it was enough to finish it, Death surrounded himself with purple smoke as he transformed instantly into his Grim Reaper form and clashed his main weapon, Harvestor, upon the Big Golem's spiky hammer.

Chris managed to deliver an uppercut slash that was enough for the big golem to keel once more. Death hammered his Harvestor down four times before cleaving down the Corrupted for the last time, destroying it for good as it burst into smithereens.

Chris and Alito, who powered down from her Lifebane transformation, looked at the Pale Rider, calm, but slightly surprised.

"You both need some rest after going through such arduous task of scaling through the Cauldron. Besides, don't you say time's a wastin?" Death replied in amusement.

Chris sighed, and shook Death's hands.

"Job well done, Pale Rider; I might benefit learning certain scythes skills from you later down the road." Chris complimented.

"Well, let's get moving then. Karn's waiting for the good news." Death grunted, rarely was he praised.

"The snippets of your past, Death...You promise?" Chris wondered.

Death turned his back as he approached the door leading to the big lever.

"You know one interesting fact...I could have killed you for being the same as me and attempting to know my origins. But, no matter how much you are going to deny it, I think you are quite interesting for a being living on Earth by technical standards. Besides, you have earned my respect; then again, I suggest you keep it away from others." Death grunted once more as he pushed the door open.

_"Same as me...what was it?" _Chris wondered.

_"What is so familiar about us?" _Alito wondered along.

_**Cauldron's Entrance**_

Karn's eyes lit up as he saw three figures waking towards them; Chris, Alito, and Death restored the Fire of the Mountain.

"The mountain has a voice! How did you all..." Karn shot out in surprise and awe. "No, never mind. You have done what we, what I...failed do. You all must take the good news to Alya as soon as you can!"

"Oh yeah, Karn, we found this platter during our dungeon crawling. I suppose it is yours, since all the Makers but you donned those on their waists." Chris replied as she handled the long platter to the bald Maker.

"That's my Platter! I might have lost it during my last attempt at popping the cork in the Cauldron and I was wondering which part of the cauldron it might have been. Thanks a lot!" Karn gave a coy smile.

Chris sighed, her eyes softened once more, and she crossed her arms.

"You have to be careful of your precious items, okay? They are like your family; they are part of you." she replied.

Karn nodded and grunted with approval. Death looked on, surprised at Chris's soft expression.

_"Then again...she will refuse to admit her humanity; she thought her humanity is lost the moment the Fuschias passed away in one day just when peace is on the horizon. Who can blame her?"_ Death thought.

_**Forge Lands**_

The lava poured down the pipes from the Cauldron into the Forge Land's pipes. Valus grunted happily, as he hammered down a crafted blade from the Fire of the Mountains itself. Chris and Alito stood beside Valus, helping the mute Maker with the weapons.

"Hahaha! Horseman, Chris, Alito! The **Fire of the Mountain** flows again!" Alya praised.

"Yes, freed by our hands, and Karn's." Death replied.

"Karn, that pup? He hasn't a clue!" Alya exclaimed. "And yet the Fire burns once more. You know what you three must do. Restore the Tears of the Mountain, so the Makers' Key is forgable."

"I'm not your errand boy, Maker." Death grunted in discontent behind his mask as he frowned.

"Aye, but our fates are now yoked. Help us, and we'll help you. As of now, take this." Alya took a single-barrel silver pistol with engravings upon its body and gave it to the Pale Rider.

Death's eyes widened in recognition a seeing the pistol. "I know this pistol, it belongs to Strife. How came it here?"

"I cannot say. But there are other goods you may barter for as well. Restore the tears, then return to me." Alya replied.

"You said there were two things that powered your forge, fire and tears." Death wondered.

"Yes, fire to wake the earth and imbued our weapons with magical properties. The tears calm the earth. Both the Fires and Tears are gifts of the **Stonefather.**"

"Shouldn't fire be enough?" Death wondered.

"Nay, we required both." Alya replied.

"Where might we find the **Tears of the Mountain**?"

"To the West, past the **Fjord** and into the **Drenchfort**, you will find the tears within."

"Alright then...we will set off first thing tomorrow morning; it's getting late." Death nodded.

Meanwhile, Chris and Alito could feel soft smiles creeping upon their face as Valus waved his hand upon being able to create a small dagger with the Fire of the Mountain.

"Been a long time coming, eh, Valus?" Chris smiled softly.

"Mmmm!" Valus nodded excitedly.

After Valus constructed the small dagger, Chris's eyes widened slightly.

The dagger had a sharp, emerald blade body. Its hilt has a blue sapphire embedded upon it, along with protruding teeth-like spikes. Arcane lines spread on the blade's body, giving a warm glow.

On the dagger's side was another dagger with a sharp sapphire blade body. Embedded upon its hilt was an emerald, with four ring-like extensions on its side.

Both Chris and Alito blushed; they had never seen such simple, yet beautiful art in their lives.

"That...was beautiful, Valus." Chris spoke softly.

The quiet Maker nodded and waved his crafting hammer, grunting in approval.

"A sapphire upon the green blade's hilt...It's just like how I am the only one who understands my Lady's pain..." Alito blushed.

"Enjoying your time with Valus, are we?" a soft, but sagely chuckle travelled through the two women's ears.

"Elder Eidard..." Chris and Alito responded upon setting their sights on the slowly approaching thick beard Elder.


	8. Our Solace, for now

_**Chapter Eight: Our Solace, for now.**_

_**Forge Lands...**_

Chris took a walk with Elder Eidard while Alito stayed behind to help Valus with his blacksmith work.

"Valus is an odd, but quiet Maker. He seemed to be lonely even if he has Alya and the other Makers by his side, thinking that there might be no one there to appreciate his work. That is why he is eager to have met the both of you when you approved Valus's daggers design. He was very intrigued and pleased that someone from the Kingdom of Man would appreciate something of such high craftsmanship." Elder Eidard stroke his beard.

"I am sorry for displaying such admiration just now, Elder Eidard. It goes against what I am." Chris looked down; her eyes drooped slightly.

"No, Chris. It is okay to feel admiration and emotions occasionally. In fact, why do you say that it is wrong?" Elder Eidard spoke softly.

"I thought...I thought it is a sign of weakness, Old One."

"If you think that is because your emotions hinder your progress, then I must say you have experienced the opposite."

Chris shook her head. "I don't follow you..." she said.

"What are you feeling now? Be honest, Chris; no point lying." Elder Eidard asked.

"Determination to save your kind, to prevent the Makers' death, Death's brother War, saving my dimension from destruction, and...and..." Chris found herself raising her voice in determination and turned away in disgust upon realizing that her emotions was getting in the way.

"All in the name of the Fuschia's last will, right?" Elder Eidard spoke.

Chris calmed down and nodded reluctantly, her eyes that of worry.

"As I have said, wouldn't that prove my point and theirs?" the Elder simpered. "They are happy that you exist, and they said that you are not to blame. You care for them. Would that not mean you still have a heart?"

"I..."

"You thought you have succeeded in keeping your parents' promise because you are emotionless. However, your determination keeps you going. That itself is an emotion." Eidard simpered.

Chris continued to look down, looking confused.

"The only reasons why you think that feeling emotions are weak, that your humanity has gone for good, are because of the Fuschia's passing, right?" Elder Eidard asked.

Chris nodded. "All the time when I have slain tyrannical overloads or evil supernatural creatures left and right, while helping the families in need and reconciling families that are on the verge of breaking up. Each time I did that, there will always say that there is something inside both Alito and I. That my humanity and emotions have not died yet...At first, I am oblivious to it. I felt that my humanity and emotions died ever since I betrayed the Fuschias."

"Why is that?" Elder Eidard asked.

Chris looked away as she looked upon the full moon with stars glittering upon the night skies.

"Our research team and I manage to produce vaccines and potentially save civilization from the E-Coli bacterium. I felt that if only I could have discovered it earlier when I am just eight years old, then things might be completely different." Chris then looked down and clenched her fists tightly.

"You have betrayed no one, Chris." Elder Eidard spoke.

"My intelligence would have saved them! I did my very best to help them by taking care of them and summoning the best doctors to help them, yet there's nothing I can do about it back when I was eight." Chris shook her head.

"It happened in a time when the bacterium ambushed you; you cannot do anything about it. You created the cure after your experiences with the bacterium and the effects from the Fuschia's demise, not before. However, it is neither your fault, nor your intelligence to blame." Elder Eidard spoke softly and gave a wistful simper.

Chris could recognize Elder Eidard's tone is not that of arrogance, or even 'Haha, you deserve it, bitch'. In fact, her eyes widened slightly when she realised that Elder Eidard's tone was that of _**sincerity...**_

"You seem to sound sincere...I expect you to laugh at me, laugh at my weakness..." Chris tilted her head, wondering.

"When we just met, I told you that our race, though strong, could not destroy the substance that can destroy Death itself." Elder Eidard replied.

Chris sighed.

"The people whom Alito and I saved constantly told us that our humanity is still 'there'. Why, Elder Eidard...Why do you think that they are saying that? They expressed their gratitude, saying that Alito and I have humanity and emotions, which is the reason we are able to save them. I told them that our humanity has died and that we are just carrying out the Fuschia's last will. I am nobody; I am no hero, I am nothing..." Chris shook her head in disbelief once more.

"Yet, they never seem to give up on me. It's not until recently that I kept asking myself...what is Humanity in the first place?" Chris continued.

"Pardon?" Elder Eidard wondered.

"What...What is Humanity to begin with? If they said, "You have that 'Spark of Humanity'"...what is Humanity? Why do they think I have that, when the truth is I am nothing?" Chris asked.

Elder Eidard stroked his beard and approached Chris.

"I can't really say what Humanity is. Humanity is something that we feel, and not described by words alone. All I know is that emotions are involved, and that is it. The journey to Humanity is one that you and Alito must venture yourselves." Elder Eidard simpered.

"You seem like you are testing me, Elder Eidard...A sagely Elder like you would have known what Humanity is." Chris frowned.

"No I don't...There are some knowledge that even we Makers cannot keep. You," Elder Eidard gently tapped his right index finger on Chris's left shoulder, "ultimately test yourself. The Fuschia's death is not the end of you; your real journey in life..._**has just begun.**_"

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"Do you think it's my fault that my parents, and the members of the Fuschias, died?" Chris asked.

"Do you really want my honest opinion based on your recounts?"

"The brutal truth, please..." Chris looked with hopeful eyes.

"You're not at fault, Chris. In fact, your parents were happy that you were born into your world. You may deny it, but once your journey in finding humanity is over, you will see why." Elder Eidard simpered.

Elder Eidard took his leave, leaving a slightly tired Chris behind. The Icy Maiden slowly lay down among the lush green pains of the Forge Plains as she looked up the full moon once more.

_"Mum...dad...is it really my fault? What is humanity?"_

The question would plague her for two years to come...

Then again, that was for another story...

_**Makers' Forge...**_

Alito felt a tinge of worry as she saw Chris returning to the Forge with a confused and worried look upon her face.

"My Lady...is something the matter?" Alito asked as she approached the Icy Maiden.

Chris saw her confidante's worried look upon her face and found herself strangely comforted.

"Come, Alito...there's something I want to talk to you about." Chris replied.

Upon a stone bench, Chris recalled everything that Elder Eidard told her about the meaning of humanity, emotions, and that they never lost either one of them.

"I wonder, have I really got nothing to lose? How long will it take us to trudge through the journey to find what humanity is? Do I really betray the Fuschias, or was it really beyond my reach? Are having emotions weak? Will I really get over the Fuschia's death, or am i just one irredeemable bitch? So many questions...so little time..." Chris sighed.

"I not know why too, my Lady..." Alito shook her head as she softly squeezed Chris's hands.

"But if you want to take the journey to find your purpose in life, can I join you?" Alito simpered.

"Even if it takes two years, three, or even our lifetime to find the answers to our questions, you would not mind?" Chris wondered; her eyes widened.

Alito nodded and simpered once more. "I promised, my Lady, that I will follow you even until the depths of Hell. Do you think I am going to abandon you in the middle of such a crucial stage in life?"

"Thanks...Alito, for taking the time to listen to my troubles." Chris wrapped her arms around her loyal servant's waist and held her close in a warm embrace.

Alito could feel a light blush creeping onto her cheeks as she simpered shyly and returned the heartfelt embrace. The night stars sparkled as the glass glistened with dew refracted off the moonlight's shine and the wind whistled through the Forge.

Both Chris and Alito knew that even if it might take years of solitude to figure out the answers to their questions, they at least have each other by their side.

That might just be their solace..._**for now.**_

Elder Eidard stood from afar, saw the two women figures' embrace and chuckled. Death stood beside him, wondering why Eidard would chuckle.

"Though they have not realised it...they have that spark in them all along. All they need is **time**. Even a wounded heart takes time to heal, no matter how long it will take." Eidard simpered.

Death looked at the shattered amulet's fragments on his left chest.

_"Absalom...Even if it is not ours to judge, how I wish you could see why Humanity deserves a chance at Eden..." _Death sighed.

_**Next Morning...**_

"Ready for the Drenchfort, Death?" Chris asked.

"Not as if we have a choice." the Pale Rider nodded.

_**West Gate of Stonefather's valley **_

Chris, Alito, and Death saw three big Corrupted Bombs upon huge corrupted crystals blocking the west gate of the Stonefather Valley.

"Strange...I swore the Corruption bombs did not resided over here yesterday..." Chris frowned.

"Time to try Strife's toy." Death took out the silver single-barrel gun and pulled a trigger. A silver bullet fired out of the barrel and shot a Corrupted Bomb. The bomb exploded, causing a chain explosion that wiped out the Corrupted Crystals, freeing the locked gates.

Karn was waiting by the door, impressed by the Death's new toy from miles away. He waved his hammer, calling them over.

_"Over here y'all!" _Karn shot out from the gate.

Chris, Alito, and Death approached Karn, who wore a relieved smile on his face.

"We tried to seal in the Corruption, but nothing came good of it." Karn shrugged.

"It's okay, Karn. We got this." Chris nodded.

"Just be careful while you head for the Drenchfort, there are prowlers and stalkers around. They are scaly, animalistic, and agile creatures that wander about the Fjord and can pack quite a punch. Oh, and watch out for swarms of fly-like creatures called Stingers too! Their venom, the Mordent Dew, comes out from their tails and they are quite nasty!" Karn warned.

"Thanks for the warning, Karn. We really appreciate it." Chris simpered.

"What of the Tears, Karn? Is there any info you can tell us about?" Alito wondered.

"The **Drenchfort l**ies just beyond this barrier. It was the first thing taken by **Corruption**. We sealed the **Stonefather's Tears **inside. fearing what would happen if they spread." Karn explained.

"If we do as Alya asks, you'll soon find out." Death replied.

"Aye. And the realm will be better for it. Whether pure as rain or black as sin, the tears will end this stalemate." Karn agreed.

"But then again, how do I often find you...standing?" Death wondered with a snicker.

"Without the **Tree of Life, **Horseman, I am trapped here just like you. A fortunate few slipped out before the tree was lost...Like Ulthane." the bald pup replied.

"And who is Ulthane?" Death wondered.

"He's just another Maker. Has a big hammer, is all! When he escaped, I feared to follow. And a good thing too!" Karn replied.

Death sighed. "And why is that?"

"Why, you might still be looking for the **Cauldron** if not for my courage and wit!" Karn grinned.

"You haven't done anything at all aside from guarding the entrance." Death crossed his arms.

"Death, to be fair, the ice clones that I created helped Karn out in eliminating the potential dangers lurking outside the Cauldron. Plus, wasn't he the one that told us the real location of the Cauldron inside the Charred Pass's dungeon - the Center?" Chris shot back calmly.

"Hmmm...Fair enough." Death grunted.

"Let's get moving then, with the amount of time we spent on our rest we should be able to activate the Drenchfort's Tears within a few hours. What are you going to do, though?" Chris asked Karn.

"I don't know, I'm just a pup." Karn shrugged.

"Why don't you help us in guarding the Drenchfort's entrance? We could use someone as brave as you with the Ice Clones I created." Chris suggested.

"That sounds like an idea! I could do something useful too!" Karn grinned.

Chris and Alito nodded at Karn's cute puppy-like smile.

"Mmm..." Death followed.

Chris, Alito, Death, and Karn travelled through the snowy plains of the Fjord...

"Snow...Feeling of solitude rippling through the lands...What is an emotion to begin with?" Chris wondered.

"Huh?" Karn asked.

"What is an emotion to begin with? Is it just a fancy word for the things we have on our faces, or is it more than that?" Chris asked.

"And what is a soul? Is it some supernatural thing, or does it represent something more? Does it make living things weak having those qualities?" Alito wondered.

"For me...it's the satisfaction I get when I found something new when I'm out exploring!" Karn grinned.

"Are there other meanings to it?" Chris wondered.

"Being alive, kicking, and smashing those corrupted constructs out of my way! Ya know, the simple way of life!" Karn chuckled.

Death looked at the two women and began wondering about the same question.

For eons since his coronation as the Executioner, Death had wondered if he had a soul.

The Pale Rider sighed; since Chris and Alito had so much in common with him in terms of their pasts, there should not be any problem confessing, right? Besides, he is a Horseman - Warriors of Honor.

"Chris...Alito. Mind if I take some of your time and tell the both of you something?" Death asked.

"Sure, Death..." Chris and Alito nodded as Karn waited.

The Pale Rider, Chris, and Alito moved away from Karn for a few strides.

"So, why are you suddenly calling for us?" Chris wondered.

Death gave a deep sigh. "There is something that I want to confess to the both of you. Both of you reminded me of my past so much, that is why I hold huge amount of respect for you two. Just to let you know...earning my respect ain't easy, so consider yourselves lucky enough." Death replied calmly.

Both Chris and Alito nodded; they knew what Death was going at.

"We thank you for respect, Pale Rider. Up to this point, we came to know about the Eden War from Elder Eidard yesterday." Alito replied gently.

"I'm not surprised..." Death gave a low grunt.

Chris and Alito's eyes widened.

"I thought you are going to kill us for knowing it." Chris replied.

"Heh...It won't be long before your curiosity got the better of you both, even if you are from the other dimension. Everyone in this dimension knows about the Eden War." Death replied.

He continued, "But I suspect you have more to ask me about. Go on, ask it."

Chris asked, "We heard Elder Eidard's, so we want to hear your side of your story. And how this crystals that embedded upon your chests are connected to your race."

"How'd you..." Death's eyes widened.

"When the Crowfather and you do battle, we managed to overhear everything that the Keeper of Secrets has to say. About you killing your brothers to keep the Balance and keeping their souls in the amulet." Chris replied.

Death sighed.

"Death, we know that you are not proud of the killing. But since we have revealed ours. You should too, right?" Alito calmly responded.

The Pale Rider looked down, took a deep breath, and exhaled deeply.

"Alright...No harm done I suppose." Death replied.

_**Death knew that Chris and Alito's have tragic pasts, it should not be a problem to share it since they shared it earlier.**_

_**Thing is...what will be Death's point of view?**_


	9. Death's past - The Pale Rider's respect!

_**Chapter Nine: Death's past - The Pale Rider's respect!**_

_**Co Author: Mikako Minamino AKA Minami Minegishi the fifth.**_

"To be honest, I do not even know how I was born. All I know is that I am a hybrid of both angels and demons. I am also one of the oldest Nephilim, been born of the first generation of that particular race. My brother, Absalom, was the oldest Nephilim to date, being the _first _Nephilim to come out from the dust, with me being the second. The Nephilims used to live peacefully in Eden when one day..." Death explained.

_**Eons ago...**_

_The Charred Council were three stone head statues with sharp jagged teethes and Jack-o-Lantern eyes._

_"Hear us! We, the Charred Council, have foreseen an important event in the history of Creation. We foretold that in the future, the first group of humans would soon set foot upon Earth. Although they might seem weak, we reckon that they will be integral to the Balance! It is the decree of the Charred Council and the vision, that the Humans will have Eden as their home. Place the Nephilims in exile until further notice! No questions asked!"_

_"This is absurd! Eden belongs to us; we are the ones who make Eden our home, and now you have the rights to take it away from us?" Absalom, the huge, muscular Nephilim with the same jagged teethes and a spiky bone crown and bony jaws, snapped._

_"The Council's decision is final, Nephilim! It is in the name of the Balance that we exile your race!" the left stone head figure warned._

_"This isn't fair! Of all the realms you could exile, why us?" Absalom shot back._

_"SILENCE!" the Center Charred Council's eyes glowed as Absalom was tortured in an excruciating painful flame and thrown through the hallway by the Charred Councils' telekinesis. The flame dug deep in Absalom's flesh, causing him to grit his teeth in excruciating pain as sweat poured down his forehead. Death, in worry, rushed towards Absalom to help him up._

_"The flame is no ordinary flame, Absalom. It is from the Abyss; you will be wise if you do not go against the will of the Council, or dire consequences shall be swift! NOW GO!" the Charred Councils bellowed._

"My brother was furious. He believed that Humans did nothing to earn their place as the inhabitants of Eden and therefore unfair to exile the Nephilim. To the Nephilims, Eden is what we call our precious home. However, for the sake of the Balance, I relented. My brother, though...initiated a mass genocide. They put countless realms to the sword, and burned them to ashes." Death sighed.

_"Absalom, what in Samsareal's name...You are disrupting the force of Balance by slaying every creation in existence!" Death frowned._

_"The Humans are weak and pathetic; they have no claims to Eden! If all the Council cares about is the Balance itself, then i say to hell with them! Look at these ashes upon us, the ashes of whom we have slayed!"_

_Death looked at the latest races to be completely eliminated, the Elven Race; their bodies strewn across chasms, hills, towns and upon the burning pits. There was nothing that was left in the cities of the Elven aside from the Nephillims' roar of victory._

_"We will destroy everything in existence to prove that we are the superior race! Even if it means the end of Earth is near! It will justify all means!" Absalom boomed._

"Absalom was once a serious leader; taking pride towards his work in guarding Eden against intruders, all anything that will disrupt the Balance. However, pride had driven and he became what he was fighting against - the threat to Balance itself. I knew that the Nephilims' conquest would imperil the Balance, so I took three siblings with me to see the Charred Councils." Death explained.

"War, Strife, and Fury, right?" Chris asked.

Death nodded. "They themselves, too, knew that the Balance will be at stake. I rallied to the three, with War the youngest, and paid an audience to the Charred Council."

_**The Charred Council...**_

_"So...you four Nephilims realized that your race's conquest will destroy the Balance. Better late never, we suppose." the Center Charred Council calmly spoke._

_"We Four, however, cannot simply take on such a massive number of Nephilims at once, unless you are willing to help us, Old Ones." Death replied._

_"And how, one of the oldest Nephilims, will you expect us to help you? We will help you, but there must be a price to pay for such power and decision you are about to make." the left Charred Council followed._

_"We will serve you in maintaining the Balance. In exchange, give us the power needed to combat the hordes of Nephilims destroying the Balance! We simply cannot stand upon the shattered remains of every race we have slayed, knowing the Balance will collapse soon if no action is taken." Death persuaded._

_The Charred Councils put their head together and moments later, the Center Charred Council's mouth burst with fire as it responded..._

_"A brave decision...Very well. We will give you the necessary powers needed to combat against your race. From then on, you will be the Four Horsemen, dedicated to bring about the Balance intact. Kill anyone who dares to defy the law!" it replied._

"So...the Charred Council gave you the powers and weapons to defeat the Nephilims." Chris summarized.

"Right. Chaoseater for War, Harvestor for me, Redemption and Mercy for Strife, and Rage for Fury. After we obtained our powers, our first task is rather straightforward...slaying the Nephilims. Eventually...my scythes cross with Absalom's axe..." Death sighed.

_The Four Horsemen charged into the fray along with the White City's army._

_Blades ripped the Nephilims' body apart, spines were strewn apart, causalities from both sides of the battlefield and the Four Horsemen slayed most of the Nephilims within a short time._

_Screams of pain, anguish and hatred echoed upon the wide, bloody, dusty battlefield as Death slayed his kin. _

_Hiding his anguish, regret, and sadness in his skull-like mask, Death drove his Harvestor through the guts of several Nephilims at one moment, unleashed a fatal sweeping slash the next, and sliced through the necks and blood vessels of fast approaching Nephilims charging onto him in anger._

_With every Nephilim he killed, anguish swept through his face and body, his guilt building up with every fallen ones. His mask hid all there was to it, his true emotions as the Executioner as he knew that no other ways to stop Balance's destruction aside from destroying those that are responsible._

_Soon, Death stood among the corpse of the brothers and sisters whom he slayed, face to face with his brother Absalom. The wounds engraved upon his body as a solemn reminder of his supposed 'betrayal'..._

_"Death!" Absalom's anger echoed through the ruined wastelands._

_The estranged Pale Rider's eyes met his older brother._

_"Why do you betray your own?!" Absalom shot out._

_Death, sticking to his belief about protecting the Balance despite his guilt, interjected, "The Nephilims have no claim to Eden." _

_"There are realms for angels and demons, WHY NOT FOR US?" Absalom screamed._

_"Eden belongs to Man!" Death shot out as his Harvestor clashed with Absalom's giant axe - Absolution._

_"It belongs to those who take it!" Absalom's veins bulged from his temples, his rage blinded all but his pride. _

_"We don't have to do this, Absalom! There are other ways to approach this!" Death shot out._

_"After all that you have done? NOT A SINGLE CHANCE!" Absalom roared._

_"Your pride will be your downfall, Absalom. Stop this!" Death persuaded while their weapons clashed._

_As War, Strife, Fury, and the Angels mauled every remaining Nephilims in existence, Absalom's eyes widened in shock at the results._

_Death, sensing an opening, forced his blade upon Absalom's Absolution in a final clash, before Death's strength as one of the Four Horsemen gave him the edge and impaled his blade fatally down Absalom's chest._

_Absalom's cries of death rang through the dark battlefield as War, Strife, Fury, and the White Cities' troops diverted their attention towards the fallen Absalom and the Pale Rider._

_Absalom's body slumped on the floor, a black mass substance crawled out of the ground from which he fell and attempted to drag him down into oblivion._

_"Brother..." Absalom raised his right hands, struggling to reach out to his brethren with rasped breath._

_Knowing that the black substance would drag his brother down dead, Death quickly grabbed Absalom's right hand and attempted to rescue his brother from falling into oblivion._

_However, the suction was far too strong for even the likes of the Pale Rider to overcome, and soon, the black substance pulled Death's brother away from the former's grip._

_Absalom's chilling scream rang Death's ears as the Pale Rider watched helplessly. The black substance dragging Absalom's rotten body into whatever the Abyss could take him._

_The Pale Rider fell on his two knees as many green souls hovered upon him, his honeycomb-shaped amulet glowed green as it absorbed the souls, with the Pale Rider letting out a cry of anguish and pain..._

_"AAAAAAAHHHHHRRRRRGGGHHHH!"_

"I could have saved him...I thought he repented because he reached out to me in the last-minute before the black substance dragged him down...I wished there could be other ways to prevent the Nephilims' extinction..." Death sighed.

Chris looked at the Pale Rider with forlorn eyes.

"So...that's how your mask came to be, the Mask of the Executioner?" Chris asked.

"From that day on...I am known as the Kinslayer; Death, the Destroyer of Worlds...The old me is dead, replaced by what you are seeing right now. All I have left is Fury, Strife, and War. I will protect them and am willing to storm through the White City if any of my brothers is framed; I do not want another repeat of history to happen again." Death replied calmly.

Death looked at Chris and Alio's forlorn eyes. "Now do you see why I said that I respect you? I thought my kind would be the only race that would experience such deprivation, never to know that humans could experience that pain too. My kind was infected, just like your family. Except that while your family contracted bacterium, our race became mad by the exile."

Chris looked at the Pale Rider and saw him in a new light.

"And I thought Death simply indulges in mindless killing all along..." Chris looked down and exhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she soothed any emotions threatening to sweep her icy heart.

"Trust me...I would have given everything just to see them alive or an alternative solution to the problems we faced eons ago, but they contracted with an infectious, and terminal, madness that only War, Strife, Fury, and I resisted. We have no other choice...Sometimes I even wonder if I am doing the right thing. I thought that no one could understand me, because even until the last of Creation became dust in the state of nothingness, I reckon there would be no one who could understand just how deprived we Nephillims were." Death replied.

He continued, "I would not have shared it, but both of you have the same premise of how your parents died - illness and war. Both of you are warriors of honor, willing to protect the **Makers** from **Corruption** and rescue my brother War to carry on your loved ones' last will of 'protecting innocent being come what may.'."

The Pale Rider walked back to where Karn was, while Chris and Alito looked on.

"My Lady, are you okay?" Alito wondered.

Chris took a deep breath as she looked at the Pale Rider with forlorn eyes.

"And to think that he has to go through eons after eons, thinking that he betrayed his kind."

As Chris, Alito, Karn, and Death continued their journey to the Drenchfort through the abandoned structures in the snowy lands of the Fjord, Chris spoke...

"There's a difference between you and me...Death..."

"What is it?" Death wondered.

"You have no other choice as the Balance walked on thin ice...While I could have done something with my intelligence to cure my loved ones." Chris replied.

"Why do you think so?" Death wondered.

"The Charred Council decreed it, isn't it?" Chris asked. Death sighed and nodded.

"You said that you had no other choice even if you thought there could be other ways. For me...I could have prevented it. I invented things that could benefit mankind in travelling from one place to another and yet...I can't invent a vaccine to combat E-Coli until recently..." Chris shook her head once more.

"As for me...I could have directed everyone from my family down to a bomb shelter. Yet civil war still claimed the life of them in the end due to my indecision." Alito followed.

"Your guilt isn't about whether you could have done something else to prevent the Nephilims' near-extinction; it's more about your assumption that you betrayed your kind even when you know there's no other choice. As for us, there were other ways we could have dealt with things, but now they are only 'could have been'." Chris looked away, with Alito placing her left arm on the Icy Maiden's right shoulder.

Death grunted in a low tone...

_"Maybe Chris was right...The Charred Council had foretold that the Nephilims will fall to save the Balance; there is no solution, or why did the Charred Councils ordered the Nephilims' execution if there's other ways to deal with the matters at hand? While Chris has to be tormented with the thought that she could have saved her loved ones from Oblivion..."_

Death conceded, _"Maybe...maybe it isn't my fault that the Nephilims had to die to maintain the balance. There is not much of a choice. Still...I do not think that their loved ones' deaths are faults of hers." _


	10. The Drenchfort!

_**Chapter Ten: The Drenchfort!**_

_**Drenchfort's entrance...**_

Chains held a big fortress-like building with a Stonefather's symbol of the Tears - a light blue G-clef symbol. Mosses, crawlers, weeds, ferns crept across the walls and chains. Hardened Corrupted crystals scattered around the entrance, slowly sapping away the colours, and lives of any plant life that grew close.

A large tulip-like hive, with roots firmly grounded on the earth, guarded the Drenchfort's entrance.

"That's the Stinger's Hatcher! Be careful, the closer you are the greater amount of them little critters it will produce!" Karn warned.

Death, Alito, and Chris nodded.

The pale Rider summoned three ghouls from the ground while taking out his Redemption, shooting the swarming Stingers. The silver bullets exploded upon contact, destroying the swarms of stingers quickly.

Chris froze the Stingers' wings with an icicle blast spell. She then twirled around, unleashing a powerful mini blizzard that tore through the thoraxes of every Stinger that swarmed around. Alito, as Lifebane, swirled around Chris's body like the beautiful rings of Saturn, slicing through the swarms like knife on hot butter. The blade's body sliced through the hatcher's 'petals', shattering them into little tiny bits.

Karn brought down his hammer upon the tender, hive-like core. Some of the Hatcher's green liquid stained Karn's harness, boots, and platter.

Death stomp his right feet as a green aura surrounded him and buffed up his biceps as veins bulged across his shoulders. He did two flipsaws with his possessed scythes, slicing the hatcher's body fatally as it exploded into a pool of green blood and staining the four adventurers.

"Well...that happened..." Chris sighed.

"Shall the both of you take a bath before we move on? There is a lake by a half-submerged abandoned structure that we passed by couple minutes ago." Karn suggested.

Chris shook her head. "No...We would be dirty by the time it takes us to crawl through this dungeon. That is a waste of time."

"Let's kill the perpetrator to whoever sealed off the Tears before bathing." Alito followed.

"Well, if that's what you want, matters not to me." Karn shrugged.

_**The Drenchfort interior...**_

The interior had several pipes branching out into a network, connecting to several walls shaped like a fortress's tower. The stones built upon the Drenchfort's walls became slightly black, a sign of erosion by the elements for eons on end. Two thick, black chains attached onto the Stonefather's symbol held the platform from which the four warriors stood.

They could see several mountain peaks from afar, reaching upon the fluffy white clouds in conquest.

"So...there's no water flowing due to Corruption overtaking the mechanisms that controls the flow of the Tears." Chris calmly said.

"It appears to be. We have to the end of the Drenchfort to activate the gate that will channel the Tears into the network of pipes. Before that, however, we must open a few more gates that governed the pipes so that the Tears can flow without interruption." Karn nodded.

"Right...no time to waste." Chris frowned.

Throughout their venture upon the Drenchfort, Chris, Alito, Death, and Karn solved puzzles by smashing through enmies and guiding through obstacles to reach the switches needed to go ahead.

In one of the rooms, Chris, and Alito have to wall climb their way into a Corrupted Bomb hatch with Death waiting at the Corruption Crystal that was blocking his way.

The Corruption Bomb has a darker shade of brown with no pale green aura of Corruption surrounding it.

Chris used her Project Tundra to scan through the bombs.

_**Results confirmed - Scans revealed that the Corruption Bomb is inert and cannot explode unless it any forms of weapons or inflammable materials, such as bullets, contacted the bombs.**_

"Shoot 'em bombs!" Chris shot out as she passed it to the Pale Rider.

The Pale Rider threw it to the Corruption Crystals and used his Redemption Pistol to shoot at the inert bomb, destroying it with the explosion. Beneath the crystals lies a slope, which led to a black sphere with several glowing blue intricate lines.

"Ahhh...A Construct's way of travelling and means to connect to their 'hearts', we call it the Maker's Sphere!" Karn shot out as he lifted it up and placed into a hemisphere-like hole that activated two gears, resulting in a platform between them to lower down.

"Construct, huh...How important are Constructs in the World of Makers?" Chris wondered.

"I know not much of it, but they are important tools for combat or traversing from place to place." Karn laughed sheepishly, rubbing his neck.

"Interesting..." Chris mused, resolving to find out about the Constructs later...

Alito approached the other Shadow Bomb hatch on the east and threw it to the Maker's Sphere.

"Head to the lifting platform, the lift will start shortly." Alito called out.

As soon as the team got on the lift, Alito took a deep breath, her chest brought out as she shot out a highly pressurized air bullet out from her mouth to the inert bomb.

The inert bomb exploded, pushing the Sphere out of the hole, lifting the platform up to the door in front of them.

"So, how did you manage to learn wall climbing and wall-riding? You are slightly more agile than I am." Death asked in amusement.

"I'm quick to learn, Pale Rider. The mechanisms implanted upon me are a bonus catalyst as well, allowing me to learn things at a faster pace and gripping the walls fast." Chris explained.

"I gotta hand it to ya, you both jump like a lass!" Karn grinned.

"Thanks...Karn." Alito blushed and simpered, with Chris nodding along.

_**After opening two pipes...**_

Suddenly, several packs of dog-like creatures with spikes, sharp claws, two sharp horns, and brown, rough skins prowled through the sides of the platform and landed several feet from them. Each of the prowling creatures had two feral-like eyes with sharp irises.

"Prowlers, get' em!" Karn shot out.

"I think it's time to show them your hammer, pup!" Death grunted.

Chris and Lifebane ploughed their way through the Prowlers easily; tearing through the hard, spiky leather and dismembering their limbs and jaws.

However, Chris's eyes widened and squinted in pain, sweat trickling down her forehead as a prowler dug its razor-sharp claws through her armor and slashed through her back.

Chris sunk her teeth into her lips; blood flowed out from her lips as she impaled the prowler's belly, did a back flip, and cleaved its body straight on the hard, rocky floor.

The Icy Maiden then threw her dual Lifebane through several approaching prowlers and unleashed a huge energy slash filled with ice, followed by a flurry of slashes with icicle shockwaves as compliments, and ending with a wheeling slash with a merged Lifebane.

Karn simply smashed his huge, blunt hammer on every prowler's skulls, leaving bloodstains upon his clothes and armor wherever he kills his foes.

Soon enough, the dead prowlers' bodies disintegrated into red dust off the air.

"That was a welcome party, eh? Them prowlers always easy when there are along, they are hard when yer' dealing 'em in packs!" Karn huffed.

Alito transformed back from her spirit weapon form and widened her eyes in shock when she saw Chris wincing as she was on her knees, breathing and exhaling deeply with blood seeping out of her back.

_Damage assessment: 40%_

_Preparing icicle Regeneration process for heavy injuries._

_Quattro Sentinel EX Cardiovertor Defibrillator activated - regenerating health. _

_Project Tundra Protein Therapy delivery system regenerating muscles and blood._

"My Lady!" Alito's face grew pensive, beads of perspiration form from her forehead as she approached Chris.

"I'm fine...Alito..." Chris winced as she shook her head and exhaled deeply.

"Why do you keep saying that, my Lady?! The wounds are still deep however small you looked at it! Besides, they are from the other dimension and not ours; god knows if those wounds could be healed quickly without any help!" Alito chided.

"Oh dear...them prowler's claws are really sharp and are able to tear deep into a victim's body, no matter how thick they are!" Karn replied.

"Hold on, my Lady..." Alito crossed her arms as two green orbs glowed on her palms.

"What is she doing?" Death wondered.

Alito merged her two green orbs into one big green orb as streams of air sucked into it. She chanted some incantations inaudible to both Karn and the pale Rider as she dispersed her green orb into the soothing air...

_"Oh great wind...Please caress the wounds of my Lady!"_

Soon enough, a gentle breeze of warm wind blew past the open spaces of the Drenchfort and gently caressed the slash wounds upon Chris's back.

The Icy Maiden bit her lips and winced as a quick sting rippled through her spine, but it soon gave way to comfort as the wounds slowly closed up under the wind's influence and her regeneration programs. Her breathing soon steadied as she exhaled deeply.

_**Minutes later...**_

"Thanks...Alito. Sorry to get you all worried." Chris simpered.

"Give me your hand." Alito asked.

Chris extended her right hand, wondering what Alito was asking for. The Icy Maiden soon felt a short, sharp pain as Alito slapped the former's palm, then felt Alito embracing her.

"My Lady...We had not known much about the prowlers' capabilities and who knows how hard they hit? Yes, they might be easy to defeat, but the wounds they inflicted are not as weak as the monsters we have met so far! Please, don't underestimate them, okay?" Chris's loyal confidante chided.

Chris sighed, found herself simpering, and patted Alito's back while stroking her silky pale green hair.

"Sorry to get you all so worried...Alito. Thank you..."

"You are not angry that I slapped you on your palms?" Alito wondered.

Chris shook her head..."No. You are right...I should not underestimate those wounds. Besides...you are the one doing it."

Alito and Chris's mind wandered back to when they were Chris was just six and Alito was twelve.

_Both Chris and Alito were playing their usual 'catch', this time along the long corridors of the Fuschia's mansion, whoever lost shall be slapped gently on their palms as 'forfeit'._

_"Come get me, Alito!" Chris stuck her short tongue out._

_"Hahaha... get back here, my Lady! Don't be naughty now and run all over the place!" Alito laughed._

_"You can't catch me, Alito!" Chris grinned, not knowing that she ran into her bedroom and tripped over the soft mattress!_

_"GOTCHA!" Alito cheekily caught Chris by her waist._

_"Ehhh! Not fair!" Chris pouted. _

_"You sure are a naughty person, huh, my Lady? Aie!" Alito gently slapped Chris's right hand as a 'forfeit'._

_Chris could feel her cheeks becoming hot as a strange sort of pleasure rippled through her nerves onto her spine. She smiled, prompting a shocked Alito._

_"I thought...I thought you might cry because..."_

_"Because you slapped my hands? Hehe...silly girl, I let you win so I could be close to you! No hard feelings!" Chris grinned as she did a 'peace sign' and hugged Alito by her waist, blushing happily._

_Silence screamed in return as both Chris and Alito enjoyed the quiet moment they had together...No one talks for the next moment or so, but they seemed to enjoy each other by their side; they were blushing happily, leaning on each other side by side. _

_By the time they fell asleep by each other's arms, hours have passed with gentle smiles upon their faces as they drifted into sweet dreams._

Alito blushed. "That's...a relief..."

Sensing a tense atmosphere, Death decided to disperse it by interrupting.

"Errhmm..." Death grunted, "I think we have the Drenchfort to recover? We have restored the two major linkages to the pipes. The Tears should be able to flow freely now if we kill the perpetrator."

Soon enough, the calm melody of flowing water echoed through the Drenchfort as water began filling the pipes.

"Parts of the water have been restored...We're getting there!" Karn cheered.

Chris and Alito looked at each other, nodded, and stood up as they dusted their armor.

"You still have scars left, my Lady, but we'll look into that later...okay?" Alito simpered, patting Chris's back with her right tender hand.

Chris nodded, simpering.

Death continually looked at Chris and Alito, his eyes raised in amusement.

_"They might think that it's their fault that their loved ones died...but they still appreciate each other's appearance, like as if they are the only people who can understand each other's pain...Humans...again, such interesting creatures."_

As they walked past the pool of black residue left by a destroyed Corrupted Crystal leading to the big door leading onto the perpetrator's den, several streams of black air managed to seep into Chris's scar on her back.

Chris gasped as her heart temporarily quickened, winced in anguish as her irises shrunk, and beads of perspiration formed on her forehead.

_Foreign materials infused upon your body systems._

_Project Tundra - Isolating unknown substance for further analysis._

"My Lady, what happened?" Alito rushed to pick Chris up.

Chris caught her breath and shook her head. "I don't know...We are just walking through the destroyed Corrupted Crystal but...but I could feel an ominous wind or something ominous running through my scars on my back to my spine..."

"Are you okay, my Lady?" Alito hoped.

Chris took a deep breath, exhaled, and scrolled through her settings in her Project Tundra OS settings.

"Not much of a problem there; no damage into the systems whatsoever. My systems could have isolated it, preventing contact with my systems." Chris heaved in relief.

"Alright then...If there's anything..." Alito nodded, with Chris nodding along.

"Mmm..."

"It must be those high-tech devices keeping you safe. That's a relief!" Karn replied.

Death pushed the lever that unlocked the metal door guard leading to the Drenchfort's lever.

"Everyone's ready?" Death asked.

"Yeah...let's get this over with!" Chris nodded.

As the team entered the room with a big lever, they saw a mini tree with hardened rocks, small branches, two rhino-like horns and six legs that burrowed into the ground as thick roots.

"That is Karkinos, an Earth Crag that used to be a wild creäture until Corruption overtook its weak mind and caused mayhem in the Drenchfort." Karn explained.

"Earth Crag?" Chris wondered.

"Earth crabs. Crab-like creatures that are like moles; they lived underground, feeding upon the minerals, roots. Ya know, all the stuffs in the ground." Karn replied.

Chris scanned through Karkinos's hide...

_**Morphology: Karkinos**_

_**Race: Earth Crag**_

_**Description: Signs of Corruption can be traced upon its body which enhances it durability to extreme levels; its rock-like armor cannot be pierced by any weapons that the team's weapons now possessed. However, it cannot resist huge impact stuns.**_

"Huge impact stuns..." Chris frowned as she scanned her environment and saw a yellow, scaly sphere.

_**Scans confirmed that it is a baby Earth Crag curling up into a ball for protection. Armor reported to have high-impact rating as their armor have the same toughness as Karkinos's.**_

"The bug sphere; maybe Karkinos will awake if this sphere slammed upon its hide." Chris spoke calmly.

"I will take it." Death, who was near the sphere, summoned two Reaper Form's spectre hands and pushed it towards the Karkinos at a great velocity.

The sphere struck Karkinos's hide hard. The sphere unrolled itself into a baby Earth Crag, which Karn smashed it with his big hammer.

The team could feel the ground shaking hard as the big Earth Crag shook dirt out of the ground, jumped, and land on it six legs, realizing a loud screech with his sharp, jagged teethes.

Chris slammed her right fist on the ground as a huge icicle spike pierced Karkinos's underbelly and flipped it to the ground. Blood flowed out from its underbelly as Karkinos keeled over, screeching in pain.

"Full force, NOW!" Chris shot out.

The team managed to land heavy hits upon Karkinos's underbelly before the Earth Crag gathered enough strength to push them away with a burst of earth spikes covering around it.

Karkinos screeched as it charged into the team, but its linearity made it easy for them to dodge the Earth Crag's attack. It crashed upon the rocky walls, shaking the surroundings and causing another baby Earth Crag ball to drop from the ceiling to the ground.

Death promptly ran over to the ball and pushed it straight into Karkinos at full force, the impact was enough to bring it down to its kneed, revealing its underbelly once more.

A flurry of attacks later, Karkinos pushed them away once more and buried its legs on the ground, unleashing big, thick vines from the ground in wheels.

"Watch out, they ain't linear; they can home in on people!"Alito, as Lifebane, warned.

Chris and Death managed to evade their way with acrobatic flips, leaving Karn behind, who was unable to dodge because of his big size despite his best attempt to run from it.

Chris's eyes widened as she saw the wheeling vines approaching Karn.

The Icy Maiden quickly teleported right in front of the bald Maker just as the wheeling vines struck and constricted her body.

Chris's eyes glowed blue as a blue aura surrounded his body. Her tattoo glowed upon her armor and body, and four intersecting rings glowed upon her forehead. Her glowing blue eyes formed the symbol of ice as a flash of blue light blinded the team for a few seconds.

When Death and Karn recovered their eyesight, they looked around the battlefield...

"Where are Chris and Alito?" Death wondered.

The Karkinos screeched in pain as ice began sprouting out of its legs and mouth, implanting its legs on the ground against its will and flipped itself upside down!

Death and Karn immediately charged in, the former unleashing a powerful flipsaw and Karn just mashing ahead.

Tearing a large gash upon Karkinos's underbelly, Death transformed into his Reaper Form and unleashed several slash upon it, ending with a flipsaw boomerang that slashed into the underbelly's gash and returned into his hands. Vital organs and blood began gushing out of its belly.

Chris and Alito shortly burst out of Karkinos's horn shortly before the Earth Crag dissolved into thin air.

"Just how..." Karn gasped.

Chris brought her hand over her left eye, a symbol of Ice forming upon her iris. Alito followed suit, only in her right eye, the symbol of the wind upon her right eye's iris.

The Icy Maiden explained, "Possessing them by blending ourselves into molecular structures and controlling them on a cellular level, as a parasite should work."

"So how did you..." Karn wondered.

"Let's activate the Drenchfort first, and not divert our attention towards some sub-plot until we pull the Drenchfort's lever." Chris spoke calmly.

"Right, the lever..." Death snapped his bony fingers.

Soon enough, the main gate opened up as the Tears of the Mountain began gushing down the Stonefather's Peak in immense volumes. The gushing voices of flowing water echoed through the Forge Lands...

Chris looked at her glowing blue palm imbued with a flame-like aura, clenched it, and closed her eyes...

"Kako...Kako Takafuji."

"I don't follow you." Death wondered.

"We will explain it all as we go back to the Forge..." Chris answered.

_**How does Project Tundra and Ventus came to be?  
Who is Kako Takafuji?**_

_**Just what gave them the ability to possess creatures like Karkinos?**_


	11. Project Tundra and Project Ventus

_**Chapter 11: Project Tundra and Project Ventus**_

_**As the Team walked back to the Makers' Forge...**_

"Kako Takafuji is a young aspiring singer and dancer that specialised in traditional Japanese dances. Many people knew her for having extremely good luck, often called 'The Luck Maiden' because of one special element existing inside her...The Element of Luck." Chris explained.

"Luck? What was it?" Death wondered.

"I myself not know it either, what I do know is that people who communed with her, will have good luck. I am not too interested in that myself. The only reason why I brought her up is that the programs we got...came from that Element itself." Chris frowned.

_**Flashback - Chris: 18 Years old, Alito: 24 years old**_

_**Guam, 13th June 2000 - Ending of Spring and beginning of Summer.**_

Continuing their Summer Vacation, Chris and Alito set foot among Japanese people's paradise - Guam.

The sandy beaches booming with people playing catch with silly grins on their faces, boys and girls playing beach volleyball, families hanging out under the shades or coconut palm trees enjoying their beverages, and Japanese Pop Idols having fun and filming their Music Video for their Summer PVs.

Chris and Alito were in Guam to discuss with the Prime Minister and President of Guam about diplomatic ties between Germany and the upcoming Project Adventurers' Guild. Things were going on smoothly, for now.

Despite Chris's still raw emotional wound, she and Alito managed to stroll through the beach incognito. The Icy Maiden clenching her fists discreetly as cold vapour exhaled from her mouth from time to time, it was a wonder that no one saw her snowy white skin.

"Everyone enjoying their times...be it single, together with their lovers, friends, or parents and children...It's good to see them safe and sound, no matter how rowdy they are." Chris spoke calmly.

"It sure is, my Lady." Alito agreed.

As they traversed through the beach, they heard a traditional Japanese folk song sung with a gentle, fluid, yet mature feminine voice.

Chris's eyes perked...

"**Kiso**..."

"Pardon, my Lady?" Alito wondered.

"Kiso...one of the famous Japanese folklore songs that my mom used to sing to me before bed every night, a symbolism of the humble life of farmers in the olden days and a reminder about humbleness..." Chris explained, clenched her fists slightly, and walked in a brisk pace towards the sound's source.

"Please wait, my lady!" Alito shot out.

The tracing of the sound led the two women to an Amphitheatre filled many people - families, teen boys and girls, and the elderly women and men.

In the center of it stood a female slightly shorter than Chris, the girl was wearing a blue dancing kimono with upper cloth only wrapping around her breasts and chest area, leaving a midriff on her belly area. Blue cloth spread from her waist down to her legs, multi-colored ribbons wrapped around her hip area while flowing like water in the wind.

The girl has short, black hair, a cheerful face, caramel eyes, and sideburns going all the way down to her cheeks. She was wearing a blue ribbon on her head and holding a paper fan in her left, blowing away colored paper while singing, in a melodious tone, the lyrics to 'Kiso'.

Upon hearing the lyrics Chris lowered her head and blurted out, 'Mom...', which surprised Alito.

As the girl blew several pieces of beautiful colored papers across the cheering crowd in Chris's direction, the colored pieces of paper temporarily blocked Chris's view as her vision changed from the girl, to that of her mother; the song inadvertently evoke memories of her last few nights with her mother before her death.

_"Why...why does everything have to remind me of my parents death...WHY?!"_ Chris thought, keeping her emotions to herself while digging her fingernails deep into her palms, drawing blood out of her fists despite her calm demeanour.

"My Lady, are you okay?!" Alito shot out.

As soon as anot0068er set of colored paper flew past her vision, all Chris could see was a masked terrorist holding the performer at gunpoint amidst terrified audiences!

Chris instantly snapped back from her train of thoughts, her eyes widened despite keeping her calm soon enough.

"Everyone doesn't move! DO not even call the police or anything else! We have bombs set across the place, rigged to explode should anyone of you dare to do any silly stuff!" the abductor shot out in an Arabic accent.

"The Al Talien...looks like you finally revealed your arse to us, you heartless nitwits..." Chris frowned, walking slowly towards the abducted girl and the abductor.

The surrounding comrades pointed their guns towards Chris and Alito.

"Don't move an inch further or this girl will be dead!" the masked man threatened.

"Do it, if you dare...Besides, you will not kill this girl, but will instead kill anyone just to get her, right?" Chris calmly spoke; the surrounding people could feel the air around them becoming chilly as goosebumps rose from their skins.

"W...What?" the masked terrorist's eyes widened.

"You probably want to have a taste of the Luck Element from that girl you are attempting to abduct, right? Do you think we do not know about the Fortune Lady - Kako Takafuji?" Chris frowned.

"Yeah...you're right! With her in our hands, we will be lucky, and liberate the entire world in the name of Allah! Our actions are a means to an end in this filthy world, because our ways are just!" the leader shot out, cackling maniacally.

"Your pride got the better of you...You think that by acquiring the Luck Element from Miss Kako you will be lucky and 'cleanse the world in the name of Allah', when all you goons do are hurt and kill innocent beings in the name of bloodlust without giving a damn about neither anyone nor your loved ones..." Chris breathed and exhaled at a much heavier pace.

"W...What?!" the leader gasped.

A burst of icy cold wind burst and swirled through as her fresh blood dripped from her palms mixed in with the ice. Alito transformed into Lifebane as Chris glared at the leader and Kako with glowing blue eyes, the victims nearly blown away by the torrential wind. The terrorists could not aim properly, with some terrorists' scope from their guns broke off and impaled their eyes out!

Chris recalled the few verses of the lyrics to _**Kiso...**_

_**Kiso no nah, Nakanori san,**__**  
**__**Kisono Ontakesan wa, nanjara hoi!**__**  
**__**Natu demo samui, yoi yoi yoi!**__**  
**__**Chorus: Hah, yoi yoi yoi no, yoi yoi yoi!**__**Awasho nah, Nakanori san,**__**  
**__**Awasho yaritaya, nanjara hoi!**__**  
**__**Tabi o soete, yoi yoi yoi!**__**  
**__**Hah, yoi yoi yoi no, yoi yoi yoi!**_

"I will never let you hurt an innocent being...not even Miss Kako, the one who sang a tribute song sung by my late mom..." Chris's tattoos of Ice glowed brightly, the symbol of Audi glowing upon her forehead.

Before anyone could react, Chris grabbed knocked the leader's grip on Kako off and unleashed a teleport slash upon her foe, tearing his spine and body apart and stealing his life force away with Lifebane's chilling effect.

The crackling of the spine and body were short, crisp, yet brutal as the leader's lifeless body strewn across the floor.

Chris stepped upon the leader's skull with her right foot, crushing it with no effort at all...

"Come...fight me...like men, you worthless, heartless scrums..." her voices echoed.

Screams of anger, death, and anguish soon followed as Chris ripped apart, sliced, crushed, tore, and slashed them to death with her Lifebane.

Despite numerous rounds of bullets landing upon Chris's body, the Icy Maiden felt no pain despite blood loss; for what pain was greater than the lost of the Fuschias?

Chris stood in the middle of many dead terrorists, blood seeping from her chest, arms, mouth and even back due to bullet wounds. The scene shocked everyone, even the optimistic Lady of Luck herself...

"Advanced Triangulation...Go..." Chris struggled to stand up as she pressed a button on her communicator to triangulate the signal for the Al Talien's main base based on the terrorists' dead bodies.

Using the Portable Inter-Dimensional portal device that the members of the upcoming Adventurers' Guild invented within a few months, Chris managed to arrive several kilometres from the Al Talien main base in Rigestan Desert, Ganistan, despite struggling from her wound.

"Ten years I have spent in catatonia...and now that I'm out...you will feel my pain and vengeance of the people whom you all have killed..." Chris's eyes glowed blue as she stood up.

Within ten minutes, the Icy Maiden and her loyal servant wiped out the entire terrorist base. The base exploded, leaving no one alive nor any bombs or techs scavenge-able; everything in the base was lost to the flow of time by the explosion.

The people in Guam widened their eyes; Chris killed off one, if not, the most important Terrorist Organisations in the world. An organisation that the global government had issues struggling to break through despite their military equipment.

Kako's eyes widened once more; she instantly knew who the women were upon gathering her composure - Chris 'Quattro' Fuschia and Alito 'Ventus' Gnade.

Who would not know them after the slanderous, but eventual fake news about Chris and Alito's association with the Fuschia's E-Coli death?

Her train of thoughts snapped when she saw Chris stumbling for a few feet upon returning to Guam before succumbing to multiple stab and bullet wounds. Alito, too, fell unconscious due to energy draining...

_**Few days later - Guam Tropic Hospital**_

"Where...Where am I?" Chris groaned as she felt a rush of blood up her forehead while slowly opening up her eyes weakly. She winced as she felt a sharp pain pulsating from her back.

_"My Lady..."_

Chris heard a vague, yet familiar voice...

"A...Alito..." Chris's eyes widened slightly as she saw her confidante over at another ward bed, separated by a small space.

In the middle of the gap, both women saw Kako Takafuji clasping her hands, while expressing relief.

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness!" the Fortune Lady cried in relief.

"K...Kako?" Chris frowned.

"She, along with the audiences involved, managed to call for an emergency ambulance the moment we blacked out. The doctors said that despite multiple bullet and stab wounds, our body, which were enhanced by cryokinetic energy, allowed us to survive." Alito replied weakly.

"Thank you...Miss Kako..." Chris replied bluntly, trying her best to avoid eye contact on the Fortune Lady.

Kako placed her hand on her chest as her eyes gazed on Chris, then to Alito, as she said, "No...I should thank both you and Alito..."

Chris and Alito's eyes widened in surprise...

"I thought I was a goner...The fact that terrorists would even think of abducting me to abuse my powers...it's scary...But thanks to you, you have saved Guam, its residence, and the visitors from annihilation and total misery..." Kako simpered.

"We don't need your thanks...Miss Kako...we're just doing our job." Chris looked away upon glimpsing at Kako's simper.

Kako knew about the fake and slanderous news regarding Chris being the symbol of sabotage for the Fuschia's near-extinction; the Icy Maiden was the only surviving Fuschia member left.

_"Even when the news is falsified...the damage has been done...Wounded souls indeed..." _she thought.

Not fearing Chris's coldness, Kako asked, "You said...the song that I sang reminded you of your late mom, right?"

Silence...

"Yes...The song you sang, reminded of my late mom...You knew about it, huh? Such a cruel media world; one fuck up...our sins will be forever recorded in the minds of many..." Chris replied solemnly, her tone hurt, yet stubborn.

Kako gently placed her palms on Chris and Alito's hands, not affected by the Icy maiden's stubborn tone.

"It's not your fault, Chris...neither is it your confidante's fault too." Kako replied.

"Not my fault? I stood in front of my parents and my loved ones, watching them as their life slowly draining away...I could have done something to save them but no...I didn't..." Chris clenched her fists, squeezing Kako's hands hard, despite maintaining an emotionless demeanour.

The Fortune Lady winced slightly, but smiled wistfully...

"My loved ones left me a will...one that told me to protect the humans, the innocent beings, from any heartless morons, supernatural forces, or even natural and man-made disasters. We protect you and the visitors of Guam...because we do not want to see any more innocent beings and families torn apart by such atrocities. We do not need your thanks; we only want to prevent history from repeating itself...and to carry on the Fuschia's last will." Chris continued and hesitated before continuing...

"And because I don't want anyone who is able to sing 'Kiso' well to die under a terrorist's hands..."

"And why is that?" Kako simpered.

"For my late mother, she loves to sing it to me when I'm young." Chris replied bluntly.

"Your mom is happy that you always think of her even after her passing, I'm sure of it. The entire residence of Guam and the visitors who were victims on the fateful day expressed their gratitude despite their shock at the incident. No one has died thanks to both you and Alito. The fact that you think of them because you are willing to carry on the Fuschia's last will proved that you still love them; you still are something, instead of nothing..." Kako simpered.

"Heh...Based on your 'luck scale', we are one of the unluckiest motherfuckers in the world. I lost everyone in an epidemic, Alito lost everyone in a Civil War before serving the Fuschias, and yet you think we are lucky? I am not about to stand here and do nothing, though. I promised my parents and loved ones that I will continue their last will, with no hopes of redemption whatsoever and to die, unforgiven, by the sins that marked me a sinner..." Chris snarled.

"You aren't nothing, Chris...Both you and Alito have something that made you more human than before - your undying love for your parents and relatives...Why then, would you want to carry on their last will?" Kako smiled softly, not giving up despite Chris's stubbornness.

The Icy Maiden and Alito's eyes widened; for once, they were utterly gobsmacked.

_"What is this...what is this strange feeling...what the fuck is this?" _Chris shook her head.

"One of these days you will know that you are still human. You still possess the love and care you are capable of, and though you might not know the meaning of humanity yet, you will find it. Even if it takes you a few years, you will know what I and everyone meant when we said that you aren't nothing...you are something." Kako simpered as she caressed their palms once again. Except this time, the cherry blossom necklace that she wore around her neck began to glow warmly.

"You have heard of the Element of Luck, yes?" Kako asked.

Chris lowered her head down slightly, "We have never believed in luck, only in skills." Alito nodded along.

Kako simpered once more. "Even if you don't believe it, my gifts of gratitude will serve you well...Carry forth your parents' last will, Chris and Alito! One day, you will know that all along, humanity has not being lost on the both of you..."

As she sang the lyrics to Kiso once more in an ambient tone, Chris's left eyes and Alito's right eyes became the symbol of ice and wind. A huge surge of power engulfed both women as they soon fell unconscious, their bodies trying to get use to the Element infused upon them.

The last words they heard were a jubilant, "We will meet again, Chris and Alito...Thanks once more!"

_**Flashback end...**_

"So...that's how the Project Programs came to be?" Death wondered.

"Not quite...After we woke up, ready to discharge from the hospital, Kako was gone. She left a note expressing her gratitude and said that we will meet again. By then...Alito and I were experiencing throbbing pains occasionally from our eyes, it got more frequent as the days went by. Whenever we walked, trails of ice soon follow, or in Alito's case, even the hottest areas during the summer became very breezy. When we came back to the Fuschia's Mansion, we went for a diagnosis test with several scientists whom the Fuschias have hired since the beginning of the third generation." Chris frowned.

_**Flashback - Fuschia Mansion...**_

"This is...This is beyond measure, Miss Fuschia." a German blonde scientist frowned upon viewing the diagnosis on the LCD.

"What is it?" Chris asked in concern.

"That throbbing in your eyes caused by an energy surge...Have you come in contact with anything that infused you with a certain power or some sort?" the blonde replied.

Chris and Alito nodded as they recalled what happened in Guam.

"Kako? Kako Takafuji? Fuck...that means..." the blonde scientist quickly accessed several of the databases and diagnosis she looked through earlier.

"You know her?" Chris wondered.

"Who doesn't know the Lady of Fortune? Renowned throughout the entire world for her hidden talents, and even unlocking hidden talents from others, since she was eight years old! Heck she was an America and Britain has Talent winner! Do you know the Reality TV show before it became crap recently? Yeah, that one." the blonde-haired woman replied.

"So..." Alito wondered.

"The Luck Element, right? It has been rigged into your biological systems and rewritten your DNA such that you both are able to carry arcane magic of unbelievable and expandable potentials!" the blonde scientist showed the results in a projected screen.

"What?!" Chris's eyes widened, the symbol of ice glowing bright on her left eye.

"Unfortunately, no amount of human mental capabilities or biological augmentations that you now own can hold that huge surge of power for long. We need to carry out instantaneous software and hardware upgrade to accommodate that surge of power. Codename Project Tundra for you, and Project Ventus for Alito." a brunette scientist, who was working on solutions, followed.

"How?" Chris wondered.

"Since the biological augmentations are built by you and installed by we all, you will need access to your augmentations and rewrite certain structural codes, codex signals, and master software before we can boot up the upgrade; it will take some time." the blonde replied.

Chris closed her eyes amidst the throbbing pain on her left eyes.

_"Kako, why are you helping me? What do you mean by, 'You still have humanity left in you'? Can't you see that I have no hope at all?"_

The tunes of Kiso, however, rang upon her mind...

_"If my destiny is to be forever tortured by the sins with the reminders to my past...then so be it. As long as I carry forth the last will of the Fuschias, I would not mind." _Chris resigned to her own fate, resolving to prevent anyone from suffering the same fate as her, the Icy Maiden nodded.

"Began schematics codex upgrade!"

_**Flashback end...**_

"I always wondered about Kako's intentions about helping us. Why does she want to help us when she knows that we have no hope at all; that we are nothing due to the pain we have? Why does she think that we still have humanity? In fact, what is Humanity in the first place? Is a just a fancy word, or is there something more?" Chris asked as she turned to the Pale Rider.

"You are the eldest of the Four, right? You should know more about Humanity then I do...Please, tell me...what is humanity?" Chris asked.

"Ours are not to judge what Humanity is and will be. All I can say is this...I wish that Absalom could see what you and Alito were capable of." Death sighed.

Death took his leave leaving a calm, yet helpless, Chris behind as Alito consoled her with a soft pat on the Icy Maiden's left shoulder.

"Remember our promise...my Lady." Alito reminded.

Chris had resigned that she would be unforgiven for 'betraying' the Fuschias despite claim that she was not. Therefore, the burden of asking the question of Humanity shall take a slightly lesser toll on Alito and her.

"Thanks...Alito..." Chris simpered.

Thus began Chris and Alito's journey in finding the meaning behind Humanity, a journey that would take two years to find...

_**Starting now...**_


	12. Your special friend - Splinter Bone!

_**Chapter 12: Your special friend - Splinter Bone!**_

_**Evening Time...**_

"Finally, the Tears of the Mountain flow again! Now we can finally get to work on the Makers' Key, which should be up by tomorrow's morning." Alya grinned.

"Good...we might as well get some early rest before going for the Foundry." Death grunted as he left.

Chris noticed that Valus was sitting on a stone bench, his hands clasping his chins, looking down with a sigh.

"What happened, Alya? Valus doesn't seem to be in the best of moods today." Chris asked in concern.

Alya shook her head and sighed as she washed her hands with the Tears of the Mountain.

"Aye...he mourns the loss of his friend." the redhead Maker sighed.

"A friend?" Chris wondered.

"Aye - his great hammer, Splinter Bone. It felled many a giant, and his first weapon that he created for his own. He took many days and nights, painstakingly designing and creating his hammer with pride. However, Valus lost it in a dungeon West of here, and it weighs heavy upon him." Alya nodded.

"What happened?" Alito asked.

"We hoped to restore the Shattered Forge within; it was once our Forge before an earthquake tore it apart. However, as we tried to restore the Forge, it became corrupted, and overrun by the sea and vermin. We barely escaped with our lives, no thanks to Karn." the redhead Maker grumbled.

"Karn?" Alito wondered.

"Aye, at the time we did not see the harm. Karn would do anything himself. I fear one day he will go too far." Alya sighed.

"Where might we find the Shattered Forge?" Alito wondered.

"West of the Fjord, you will be able to find the entrance thanks to the vines surrounding the doors and lakes surrounding the structures...You're not seriously suggesting that..." Alya asked, just in time to look ahead and saw Chris walking away, but not before looking back and said...

"Tell Valus, we'll get it done by nightfall..." Chris's eyes glowed; her tone became grave, infused with her resolve to prevent a repeat in history.

"Allocate locations and coördinates of the Shattered Forge based on Alya's description." Chris spoke to the satellite tracker system launched into this world.

_**The Shattered Forge...**_

Vines and creepers hung around a brown door as Corrupted Crystal fragments grown out of its walls. Water flowed from the network of pipes, the walls and door were shades of grey and brown. Smells of dusty air wafted around the surroundings.

Cracked walls and shattered powder of rocks scattered through the entrance.

"So...shall we?" Chris asked.

"Preventing history from repeating itself...why not?" Alito replied.

The door smashed open as the two maidens entered the Shattered Forge.

Waterfalls flowed from both sides. A circular platform was seen from some distance and a four-horned box was on the platform itself, separated by a flowing river.

Chris and Alito looked at each other and nodded. The latter's eyes glowed green, her right eyes became the symbol of Wind as she crossed her arms twice to raise water with a strong surge of air.

Chris's eyes glowed blue; her left eyes became the symbol of ice as the water towers froze and became icy staircases, while completely freezing the river to offer unconditional rigidity.

Chris and Alito managed to scale through the staircase with no problem; the spikes that attached upon their shoes' soles enabled them to hold their balance with ease.

As Chris and Alito managed to land on the other end of the staircase, they set their eyes upon the chest containing the Splinter Bone.

"Well, that was easy..." Chris exhaled calmly.

Unexpectedly, huge scaly, cheetah-like prowlers and bony stalkers smashed through the walls with their big, crushing claws.

"Or maybe not..." Alito shrugged.

Chris and Alito faced with their backs against each other.

"Ready?" Chris frowned.

"No pain...no gain, my Lady." Alito nodded and simpered as she transformed into Lifebane.

Chris swings the huge scythe and unleashing a huge blizzard storm, freezing the prowling foes.

"Time for you hot-tempered beasts to chill out..."

The Icy Maiden's eyes glowed once more, as she possessed one of the big prowlers, break out of the icy prison and proceeds to shatter the frozen stalkers with its huge, crushing hands, feet, and long tails.

Chris managed to freeze the possessed Prowler from the inside and smashed it as she and Lifebane got out of the beast's body.

The last Prowler roared and charged blindly at the icy Maiden, to which she promptly dodged to her left, attached her dual Lifebane by its hilt each, and unleashed a powerful boomerang scythe that froze the beast.

Without any words spoken, Chris dispatched the Prowler in no time flat by punching the icy prison with her Project Tundra on, smashing it like fragile glass upon a shopping mall in a raid.

Chris looked up in the air as she saw a golem head with corrupted spikes growing around its head as a crown. It has a big stone jaw with an arching forehead with medium-sized ears.

_**Morphology: Construct Sentinels**_

_**Type: Corrupted**_

_**Description: A head from a Corrupted Construct, it has powers to create Corrupted Construct Warriors and Golems from the Earth using Corruption. Be warned, during the creation process, it will release a green barrier around him, rendering it invulnerable to attacks. Range attacks recommended in minimizing repercussions from its summoned troops.**_

The Sentinel Head opened its moth as a glowing Corrupted orb shot out a green-yellow beam through its bottom on the floor, summoning several Corrupted Sentinel Warriors and golems waving their hammers and rock batons.

"We won't let anyone of you hurt Valus's best friend..." Chris's eyes and Lifebane's hilt glowed intensely as their voiced reverbed through the Shattered Forge.

Soon enough, Chris and Lifebane mowed through the Corrupted while evading with such grace and elegance like a ballerina, yet with a berserker's brutality slicing through her victims. Their tranquil fury shown to the foes as bodies after bodies laid waste upon Chris's feet.

The Construct Sentinels showered forth streams of Corrupted lasers upon Chris, prompting her to dodge as streams of lasers narrowed down upon her.

She winced occasionally as a few lasers burned through her armor like acid, but she managed to hold her ground like all disciplined warrior did.

Soon enough, the Corrupted head ran out of energy to shoot Corrupted energy, its eyes dimmed as it began charging up corrupted energy through its surroundings.

The Icy Maiden did a reverse flipper jump and stood over the frozen staircase. Her eyes glowed once more and she broke off several pieces of ice from the frozen staircases with a wave of her hands.

_"Storming Diamonds!" _

The icicle pieces rained down upon the Corrupted Construct Sentinels, impaling its eyes and shattering the green stone that rested upon its forehead.

The Corrupted howled as its death screams echoed through the walls and corridors of the Shattered Forge, and it soon exploded in a thick, yellow, gooey mess.

"Well...that's that." Alito huffed as she powered down from her spirit weapon form, and her eyes widened as soon as she saw several burn marks over Chris's armor.

"My Lady, are you alright?!" Alito shot out in worry.

"Corrupted lasers scraping through my armor, those monsters sure packed a punch in terms of the range department." Chris exhaled deeply.

"It's good that you ain't inflicted much. And they are only burns, not really infections upon your body...thank goodness." Alito sighed in relief.

Chris opened up the chest with her bare hands as a huge hammer with two orange-coated blunt sides and white and blue circular highlights decorated around its longitudinal sides, complete with a short, sharp tip made of white diamond.

"This must be Valus's Splinter Bone!" Alito shot out.

"Sure is...Let's get it back to Valus before he mourns even further." Chris nodded, simpering at the sight of Valus's precious hammer.

_**Back at the Forge...**_

Valus looked at his crafting hammer, grunting in sadness as he looked down with his mask still on.

How he wish he had the hammer back, how he wish his precious friend was still by his side, working with him, and serving him well.

Valus gave a puzzling grunt and turned around when he felt someone tapping his back.

The quiet Blacksmith Maker turned back and his eyes widened when he saw Chris and Alito standing in front of him, carrying his Splinter Bone!

"Valus...We found your friend, the Splinter Bone..." Chris simpered.

Valus cried out in gratitude as he gave both Chris and Alito a bone-crushing bear hug. After that, Valus held his head high as he raised his hammer, grunting in triumph, excitement, and relief.

The Icy Maiden simpered, relieved that Valus reunited with his best friend which felled many a giant.

"Take good care of it, Valus..." Chris's wistful expression etched upon her face.

"Valus cannot imagine the gratitude he is feeling now. Thanks for restoring his happiness back by finding his lost, precious friend. I am speechless, too, Chris and Alito...Really, many thanks!" Alya simpered.

"At least his friend is still alive, yes?" Chris replied.

"It meant a lot to him; of course he will be very relieved to know that it's still in one piece. You gave him hope that his friend might be alive by attempting to storm through the Shattered Forge, and you did bring it back." Alya nodded.

The redhead saw Chris and Alito looking wistfully upon Valus embracing his long-lost friend with his huge, strong arms.

"The Fuschias meant a lot to us...The best we can do is to carry on their will as best as we can, as our bodies can, and will, allow." Chris sighed and looked away. "One thing remains clear. The Fuschias are dead. All we hold dear are gone. We just want to prevent Valus or anyone, from becoming the next us..."

"The Elder is right. You will find humanity one day, Maiden of the Ice and Wind. You will just need to have the right time and place to find it." Alya patted their shoulders.

"What is humanity to begin with...Alya?" Chris wondered.

"Humanity? Well...I cannot say, for I'm not as wise as Elder Eidard does. All I can say...it's not something that we can touch upon. I'm sorry." Alya shook her head.

Chris exhaled deeply, looked down, and replied, "It's okay, Alya."

Valus approached Chris and Alito, grunting happily, as he opened up both of his palms to the two Maidens. On his palms were two of the daggers that Chris and Alito were mesmerized by yesterday.

Alya smiled. "Valus wants to express his gratitude by giving both of you the daggers that both of you have your eyes glued upon yesterday."

Chris's dagger hilt, the emerald, shimmered under the bright moonlight. Its gleam merged with the bluish tone of its blade body.

The aura of Alito's dagger hilt, the sapphire, merged with the soft, glowing green blade body.

"V...Valus...This is...for us?" Chris could feel something hot within her cheeks and widened her eyes - she was blushing.

Alito, too, was blushing.

"Mmm! Mmmmm!" Valus nodded and waved his crafting hammer jubilantly left and right.

Both Chris and Alito looked at their daggers, and then each other's gently blushing face.

A fluttering feeling they could feel, but they could never put a hand upon...why was that?

_**Late at night...**_

Chris rolled over on her created ice bed left and right; she could not sleep.

The fluttering feelings remained stuck on her heart like a stubborn child asking for candies.

_"Those feelings fleeting by...I can't even sleep with them...why? Why am I feeling them? Why now? I can't even understand..." _Chris sighed as she sat up on her bed and looked at both of her hands.

The Icy Maiden sighed shortly, shook her head, and left the bed shortly after, deciding to take a walk to calm down.

The lush green fields of the Forge Plains lightened up as night dews lit up parts of the fields under the moonlight. Grasses gently danced left and right as the soft wind caressed Chris's soft, snowy skin. Petals danced around the skies like a graceful ballerina synchronising her steps in harmony.

As she strolled through the plains, her sight widened when she saw a familiar female figure admiring the skies while sitting upon a rock.

"A...Alito!" Chris called out.

Chris's confidante turned her head towards her and gave a blushing smile.

"My Lady..." she waved hello and nodded.

"Is it okay if I sit close to you?" Chris asked.

"Why would I reject your offer, my Lady?" Alito gave an amused look.

Both Chris and Alito sat close to each other, the muscles in their bodies tensed down as they gave each other a warm simper.

"You can't sleep, right?" Chris asked.

"Mmm..." Alito nodded.

"..." both women did not utter a word.

"My Lady?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it strange...that I always felt nervous when I think about you...yet I feel so relaxed when I am _with _you?" Alito wondered.

Chris thought about it for a moment, tilting her head from side to side, then...

"I can't say for sure...if it's strange, then ain't I strange too?" Chris wondered.

"Huh?"

"I can only interact with most people socially...only professionally. Yet, when I'm with you, I just feel relaxed too. When we're apart for even just a while, I would suddenly want to see your face again. When we're back together, you know, I just felt...relaxed and comforted." Chris sighed.

Chris shrugged. "I can't tell...Then again, it's not something we can put our hands on or judge, just like what Elder Eidard said."

"Finding ourselves, is it just like the dagger that Valus gave us?"

"What do you mean, Alito?"

"The dagger's hilt..." Alito took out the dagger and showed it to her Lady.

Alito continued, "The sapphire represents you. It's as if the dagger symbolises your heart...inside mine and vice versa, like-wise, for your dagger."

Chris blushed as she casted an affectionate gaze upon her sapphire dagger giving off a warm, green glow under the moonlight.

Alito placed her right hand softly upon Chris's left, giving a shy smile. Chris found herself blushing and smiling as she returned the heartfelt squeeze upon Alito's palms.

No one spoke a word throughout the blissful night. After what seemed like an eternity, Alito slowly felt drowsy and snuggled on Chris's lap, sleeping like a baby on her mother's lap. Chris gave a wistful gaze upon her confidante and lay down next to Alito with their nose gently rubbing against each other, holding each other's hands softly.

"Sweet dreams...Alito..." Chris simpered.

Alito seemingly acknowledged with a sweet, smile upon her sleeping face.

Chris knew that even if people would not understand her pain, her troubles, the impact of her lost, or the amount of time needed to find the meaning of humanity...at least there was still someone who shared her thoughts...

_**Alito...**_


	13. Thanks, Alito

_**Interlude: Thanks...Alito.**_

_"Chris...Chris..."_

"What am I? Where am I? Who's calling me?" Chris found herself in a void; where no one exists, save for only voices echoing through the inky darkness.

_"Chris...you could have saved us."_

_"Why can't you save us, Chris? You know you want to, and yet you didn't!"_

_"You are smart, and yet you can't save us from the grip of death!"_

_"DoN't yOu lOvE uS aNyMoRe, ChRiS?"_

The berating grew louder and louder. Chris shook her head as she placed her hands on her ears and rushed across the dark hallway, not knowing where she was heading.

"No...NONONONO!" Chris screamed as she felt herself slamming through door.

The Icy Maiden found herself in a room with a big, king-sized bed, fluffy pillows, blue carpets, and a vase of lavenders, her mother's favourite flower.

She turned around, and she saw two portraits. One is a portrait of Chris's mother and father on their wedding day, and the other was a family portrait of the Fuschias.

She looked into a mirror and saw her reflections as an eight-year old - small, vulnerable, shattered, and traumatised.

The Icy Maiden was powerless; she could not scan things, neither could she manipulate ice, nor access her weapon.

Chris realised where she was...her parent's bedroom - the days leading up to the Fuschia's demise.

_"WhY?! YoU cOuLd HaVe sAvED US!"_

_"HaVe YoU No sOuL, yOu UnFilAL wHoRE!"_

_"YOU DESERVE TO DIE!"_

_"yOu WilL SufFeR As wE DiD!"_

Chris brought her hands to her face, writhing in anguish as she huddled on the floor with her face close to her knees.

"No more...please, no more!" Chris cried, her tears of anguish welled up in her eyes. Dark chilly wind burst through the broken window as rain poured into the room.

"YoU hAvE bEtRAyED uS!"

"A sHaMe tO US aLl!"

"wEaK AnD pAtHEtIC!"

"YoU aRe A foOl tO be bOrN iNtO tHiS WoRLd!"

Chris shook her head and screamed in anguish, "Stop it...JUST STOP IT! STOP THESE VOICES IN MY HEAD! STOP IT!"

The memories of the Fuschia's death began flooding into her mind once more. The day where Chris stood close to her loved ones, watching helplessly as their lives slowly drained away.

"It had already happened...This is just a dream...a nightmare! Wake up, Chris...WAKE UP!" Chris frowned as she soon backed away, failing to notice that she was inching closer and closer to a window. When Chris realised where she was, her moment of shock caused her to trip over and nearly fell off the building.

In a moment of instinct and fear, the Icy Maiden held the window rails with every ounce of her strength. Despite her best effort, however, she could feel her strength slowly draining away from her body.

_"No...This is not my time to go off from the face of this planet!"_

_"gIvE iT uP..."_

Chris could see several branches of black, gooey substances grabbed her feet and threatened to drag her down.

"C...Corruption? Is that Corruption?" the Icy Maiden gasped as she recalled what happened at the Drenchfort hours ago, the time when she keeled temporarily after feeling an ominous wind rushing into the wounds on her back.

_"It must be the corrupted ashes that got into my wounds while my systems attempting to isolate it!"_ Chris frowned.

Try as she might, Chris's little body could not overcome the strong grip of Corruption.

"gIvE iN tO yOuR eTeRnAL DeSPaIR!"

Chris shook her head once more as beads dripped from her forehead. "No...I must...go on! I won't give up, no matter how many times you drag me down...no matter how much you attempt to Corrupt me...I won't become what I am fighting against! I WON'T BECOME A CORRUPTED ASSHOLE LIKE YOU!"

"bUt yOu ArE tHe CaUSe oF yOuR DeSpAiR!"

"tHe fAuLt LiES wItH yOu!"

"dRoWn iN tHE mEsS yOu hAvE mAde!"

The sounds of damnation continually hammered Chris's determination down, slowly loosening her grip with the window rails.  
"I can't vanish of this place of the planet...I can't lose myself...but it might be just too much..." Chris's eyes became dark as despair began to claw into her heart.

However, Chris could feel a warm, firm, yet familiar grab on both of her hands. The Icy Maiden looked up and her eyes lit up with hope...

_**Alito...**_

"MY LADY! Don't give up now! We promise to go through this phase of grief together or die trying! DON'T DIE ON ME, PLEASE!" Chris's confidante frowned as she mustered up every ounce of her strength to pull Chris out of danger.

Chris could feel a warm glow surrounding her body as Alito tried her best to pull her up. Feeling a surge of energy rushing into her, the icy Maiden gritted her teeth, gave out a war cry, and made an arduous attempt to break free from the strong grip of corruption.

Soon enough, Chris's pocket shone, revealing a sapphire dagger with a green hilt floating out of her pocket and shining just above the Icy Maiden. The Corruption screamed in fear as the blinding light soon vaporized the amoebic mass into nothingness, giving Alito enough strength needed to bring Chris back to safety.

The Corruption that infected Chris's wounds earlier in the day had not given up yet as it soon took on a life on its own, transforming into an avatar that resembles very much like Death's description of Absalom...

"Everything that I touch will fall under my influence; no one can escape the power of Corruption, not even Death!" the avatar screamed.

Chris looked down.

"You will never escape your nightmare, Chris...The failures of saving your loved ones will forever be etched upon your mind until the day you die, so you might as well join me and forget the pain that have numbed you for so long!" the avatar cackled.

"You forgot one thing, Corruption..." Chris frowned as both she and Alito brought out their daggers that Valus created for them hours ago. "Even if no one could understand my pain, even if there is not a single person on Earth who could empathize with my thoughts, and even if it is my fault that my loved ones died...I still have someone who could be with me until the end and prevent me from losing myself!"

Chris's dagger and Alito's dagger glowed green and blue...

"And that someone is a person who has supported me ever since her arrival in the Fuschias when she was ten! One who has looked after me during my highs and my lows! One who does not give up on me even during my darkest days! She is the one who was willing to go through hell and back, just to see me safe! That someone...IS ALITO!" Chris screamed as beams of blue and green shot out from the hilts of Chris and Alito's dagger, and struck the approaching Corrupted Avatar.

"No...NOOOOO! The light, THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! I THOUGHT ONLY THE ROD OF ARAFEL IS CAPABLE OF SUCH CLEANSING! IMPOSSIBLE!" the avatar screamed as his body began to vaporize.

As Alito held Chris close to her chest, both women saw the vaporizing black mass cursing...

"Even if you have overcome your Corruption for now...Chris and Alito...you will never be able to defeat the armies of my creation! I will be looking forward to you becoming nothing but a bloodied mess, a failure forgotten in the endless Abyss itself!"

With that, the Corrupted Avatar completely vaporised into thin air, the storm calm down as the clouds cleared up, revealing a clear full moon upon the night skies. The wind became as gentle as a soft, motherly touch as the curtains flow smoothly.

Alito embraced Chris once more, relieved that her Lady had not given in to the effects of Corruption...

No one uttered a single word; they knew that nothing needed to be said...

They are thankful they have each other, side by side, even through the hardest times.

Back in the real world, Chris quickly opened up her eyes and saw Alito sleeping while wrapping her arms around the Icy Maiden's waist. Both women are sleeping close with their nose touching each other.

Alito's breathing was ever so soft, calm, and yet...with a strange sense of maturity.

Chris could feel a warm glow between them - their daggers.

_"Look at each other's heart and you will find each other...Is that what Valus is trying to convey with these daggers?" Chris blushed; a smile soon crept onto her face._

The Icy Maiden gave a small kiss on Alito's lips and the latter responded by tightening her embrace around the former's waist, mumbling gibberish from her mouth, and smiling sweetly.

"Sweet dreams...Alito. And thank you..." Chris whispered, simpering as she soon drifted into a sweet dream in Alito's warm embrace.

_"Thank you...Alito. Even if I am suffering through this grief of mine, I'm so happy that you are always by my side..."_


	14. To Move a Mountain Part 1!

_**Chapter 14: To Move a Mountain Part 1!**_

_**Next Morning - The Makers' Forge.**_

Chris, Alito, and Death arrived at the Makers' Forge just in time to see Alya placing the final touches upon the Makers' Key. The redhead Maker hammer upon the Key's hilt thrice, with each hit giving off a strong, blue glow.

Valus placed the heated Key in a bucket containing the Tears of the Mountain, and shortly gave the item to Elder Eidard.

The Key's hilt glowed blue as a golden wristband wrapped around its hilt. A hexagonal handle resided on the top of the hilt.

"It is finished, then. At long last." said Elder Eidard as he received the Key. "Death, Chris, and Alito, this is a Makers' Key, and you had best take it now...before I come to my senses."

"Thanks, Elder Eidard." Chris and Alito bowed.

Death chuckled. "You seem more likely to lose them, old one."

"A problem, aye. Nevertheless, there is also a solution. The Guardian, meant to be our greatest weapon, capable of clearing the forest around the Tree. However, an earthquake drove us from the Foundry and, now, I fear something else roams within. The Guardian was never finished." Elder Eidard sighed.

"If the Guardian is your masterwork, how are we to complete him after the earthquake claimed the Bridge connecting the Forge to the Foundry?" Death wondered.

"Yeah...There must be someone who can restore the gap between the Forge to the Foundry, yes?" Chris wondered.

"In the forest lies another construct, one of the few remaining who have not fallen to Corruption. He is not as vast as the Guardian, but his heart is strong. Seek him out, and he will guide you to the Foundry. There, you may activate the Guardian using the Makers' Key." Elder Eidard explained.

"What are Constructs, Elder Eidard?" Alito wondered.

"They are beings of boulder and stone, animated by a Maker's life force stored in a special blue stone. Most possess but a fraction of a soul. Just enough to drive them, and give them purpose. We used them to help us in work such as defeating enemies that are greater than us, traversing chasms and gaps, activating platforms and lifts, and even clearing off obstacles that our hammers or swords could not crush. But through others course the whole of a maker's being; his memories and emotions...a story half-remembered. They are called Wardens. Life weighs heavy on us all, not even stone can bear it." Elder Eidard replied.

"The constructs are awakened...by a Key?" Death wondered.

"Aye. Constructs do not have a soul, like you or I...not until that soul is given. This key unlocks the blue stone, and prepares it for the ebb and flow of a maker's life force. In fact, it will bring to life most any construct you find in the realm." the Elder nodded.

Death chuckled sarcastically. "And what makes you think I have a soul, old one? What makes you think that both women here have that too?"

"Isn't that what troubles you?" the Elder simpered.

"Hang on, if the Wardens are capable of clearing off Corruption, why aren't they used to cleanse your realm?" Chris wondered.

"We do come close but sadly, the Wardens were called when the seals were broken, the maker's toll to be paid at the End War. This Warden, resided by the Lost Temple in the middle of the Forge Lands, is all that remains." Elder Eidard replied.

Chris's eyes lit up.

"Wait...the seals broke? Then why did War get punished for his crimes?" she wondered.

"What do you mean?" Elder Eidard wondered.

"The Wardens trudged forth when the seals broke, yet the Council accused War of riding forth when the seals were intact. Don't you think there's some conspiracy involved?" Chris wondered.

"What do you mean?" Death wondered.

"Someone has broken six out of the seven seals, tricked War and the Wardens into thinking that _all_ _of the seals_ broke, and restored the seals before the Charred Councils checked to see if all of them were broken when the hoo-hah occurred." Chris theorized.

"With the evidence that the Wardens trudged into Earth when the seals broke, we can prove War's innocence to the Councils!" Alito clicked her hands in anticipation.

"No...Not yet." Death sighed.

"Why?" Chris wondered.

"I came here without the Charred Councils' permission. If they found out that I had gone to the Forge Lands, they would most certainly kill me for defiance. Besides, I do not have the Power of the Seals in me yet." Death replied.

"Back to square one...I suppose." Chris huffed.

"No. We just have to revive humanity to erase War's crime. Once the Councils were convinced that humanity is still alive without knowing what we are doing, they will order us to find the two conspirators that tricked War and the Wardens. By then, we can have our way with those offenders." Death frowned.

"Well, at least it ain't left to waste after all..." Alito shrugged.

"Good luck! You all may have restored the Fires and the Tears, but our realm still threads by thin ice...It's all, or nothing." Elder Eidard nodded.

"We will!" Chris and Alito simpered.

"You have our words." Death nodded.

The Elder and Alya could see Chris and Alito holding hands with simpers upon their faces. Elder Eidard could also sense that there were no traces of Corruption left in her wounded areas.

The elder maker stroked his beard and chuckled.

"Elder Eidard?" Alya wondered.

"It's only a matter of time for them..." Eidard chuckled.

_**The Lost Temple...**_

The door of the Lost Temple burst open as Chris, Alito, and Death surveyed the Lost Temple.

The temple had moss decorated around its walls. Crumbled walls could be seen everywhere as huge stalks of vines wrapped around the temple's rooks and staircases. The walls were made of brown instead of the usual grey.

"Okay, that's pretty dull for a Lost Temple." Death crossed his arms.

"Why do you think so?" Alito wondered.

"The temple is nearly destroyed thanks to monsters and even Corruption in here. One wonders why the temple blends so well with the mountainous surroundings of the Forge Lands. I was expecting more." Death shook his head.

"Well, too bad. Let's get going, the Construct awaits us." Chris sighed and shrugged.

"Not as if we have a choice." Death raised his right eyes in amusement.

Chris, Alito, and Death ploughed through the Temple like butter on a hot knife, chatting along the way.

"So you have an interest in necromancy I suppose?" Chris wondered.

"Are you interested in my skills?" Death wondered.

"Certainly, Pale Rider. It will certainly be good if I can bring home some useful spells after we destroy the conspirators, right?" Chris replied.

"I'm certainly not one to impart skills, but since you have earned my respect...I suppose I could teach you about the basics of summoning ghouls after we are done with the Tree of Life." Death nodded.

"What do you use your ghouls for, aside from being useful little troopers that slashed in trios and goes 'boom' after a few seconds?" Alito, as Lifebane, wondered.

"Building houses, and that's about it. I have two types of skill trees. One set for necromancer and the other for harbinger. I go for the latter, since I'm for the 'killing is an art' motto of mine. The ghouls used for distraction and adding an explosion wouldn't hurt either." Death grunted.

Chris, Alito, and Death set upon a sleeping Construct with a Makers' Sphere as its feet. Fragments of rock floated upon its retracted head and crown.

"The small Construct that Eidard must be talking about. The soul given is enough to fulfill its basic purpose." Chris mused.

Death used the Makers' Key and turned the keyhole in the Construct's belly. The Construct gave a deep rumble as its body rearranged itself like a robot and formed two stone-like hands, a spherical body with white inscriptions around its body, and white eyes around its head.

Death climbed to the top of the Construct's head and commanded it to move towards the Corruption Crystals.

"They always say, nothing beats a solid with extreme brute force. Let's see if this theory is just nothing but a lie drilled into our heads." Death grunted as he commanded the Construct to unleash a cleaving smash upon the crystals.

The Construct's arms successfully crushed the hard, green, corrupted crystals. Its diamond-like body crushed into smithereens and all that remained was a pile of black goo.

"Well, it certainly is true. Constructs indeed are anti-corruption weapons until Corruption did a pre-emptive strike by cutting the Fire and Tears off." Chris concluded.

"Oh, I'm gonna have fun clearing this place up..." Death snickered.

Chris's eyes became squiggly. "Something tells me we're gonna be here for some time. Not enough to waste a lot, but still..."

_**Thirty Minutes later...**_

Death cleared the path off the Corruption Crystals with the Construct's hard, rocky palms, smashed crates and treasure boxes, and picked up loots in the form of glits.

"Glits?" Chris wondered.

"Currencies used in the realms of angels and demons." Death summarized.

The Construct, Death, Chris, and Alito reached a lifting platform, where another Construct lies in the second level.

Death manoeuvred the Construct to the lift. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Hand me the key, I know what to do." Chris nodded.

Chris swiftly climbed up to the second level through the vines on the walls. She activated the construct with the Makers' Key and commanded it to move into a hole. Chris's Construct attached itself into the hole as it glowed and activated the lift's mechanisms.

"Well, that's something." Death chuckled.

After smashing through several Corrupted crystals upon the way, the team reached onto a huge gap. A door was seen on the other side of the huge gap with a circular lock that glowed blue.

Commanding the construct to attach its right arm into the lock itself, the team traversed through the chains extended from the constructs arms and successfully reached the other side of the gap.

The team reached onto a open area filled with waterfalls, trees, and a calm and relaxing soundtrack of the falling water. Birds were chirping as a faint glimmer of sunshine pierced through the cloudy atmosphere. Over the other side of the open space is a door.

Slaying past the Corrupted Warriors and the Tainted Small Golems, the team wall ride and climb side ways through the walls with ease to the other side of the open area.

A door guard shut the door as a pack of Prowlers leapt into the platform. Death quickly summoned three ghouls to lure the Prowlers. The Pale Rider quickly buffed himself with a powerful arcane magic and unleashed several charged shockwaves on the Prowlers. Chris and Lifebane unleashed flurries of ice javelin shots, with the ghouls' explosion enough to kill the pack off.

However, two portals opened up as two red-skinned stalkers spawned out and roared.

_**Morphology: Savage Stalker**_

_**Description: Stronger version of the stalker, this version possess higher agility and packs a lot of punch. It also possess thicker armor, proceed with caution.**_

Just as Chris was about to remind Death, the latter summoned three ghouls once more to lure the stalkers; one on the right, the other two on the left.

Sensing the time is ripe, Death quickly unleashed a shockwave towards the stalker on the right and threw a his Possessed Scythe in a boomerang style attack. The attack froze the monster, to which Death promptly kills it with a flipsaw attack.

Chris managed to freeze the left Savage Stalker, giving Death enough time to unleash another flipsaw attack, finishing the stalkers once and for all. The door guard opened up.

"Well...I guess the extra armor for them didn't _cut_ it." Death shrugged.

"Nice pun, Death..." Chris gave a disinterested face.

The team finally reached the end of the temple itself where a few staircases were all that separated the team and the sleeping Warden itself. Parts of a construct scattered throughout the room.

"The Warden. This is it, everyone..." Chris exhaled deeply.

Before they could take another step, a green orb glowed as Corruption began to ooze. The orb rose into the air, attracting the scattered pieces of rock and stones, reconstructing them like a robot. The orb attached a construct sentinel head into its body, forming the Construct Hulk with two cannon-like arms and two huge axes upon its big, strong arms.

"Time to rock its world alight..." Chris frowned.


	15. To Move a Mountain Part II!

_**Chapter 14: To Move a Mountain Part II!**_

The Construct Hulk hammered its arms on the solid ground, unleashing a huge shockwave upon the team.

The team managed to dodge out of harm's way as Death sprinted swiftly towards a Corrupted bomb that dropped from a hatch hanging above a ceiling.

The Pale Rider threw the bomb to the Construct Hulk's face and shot the bomb with his Redemption, causing the bomb to explode and bringing the Corrupted to its knees.

Noticing the corrupted core detached from its large, rocky chest, the team charged into the fray, fending off the surrounding Corrupted warriors summoned by the Corrupted Hulk's distress call in the process.

Several Corrupted Warriors managed to get close to the team, but Death managed to slice them apart by unleashing a powerful charged shockwave to the core with his possessed Armblades, the Slice of Death. The powerful aftershock that came after blew the Corrupted Warriors up.

Just as the Corrupted Construct Hulk's core rose up to connect itself back to its body, Chris's left eyes and Lifebane's hilt glowed with their respective elemental symbols. The Icy Maiden unleashed a powerful uppercut, her Lifebane slashed through the fibres of the Corrupted Core, freezing it.

Chris unleashed two slashes, joined her dual-Lifebane together into a big scythe, and threw it as a buzz saw towards the frozen core.

Death unleashed a huge, charged shockwave with his Slice of Death at the core once more, followed by flurries of acrobatic slashes upon the frozen core.

"According to Project Tundra, the core's energy level has fifty percent remaining!" Chris called out.

"Push on! We're nearly done!" Death rallied.

The Corrupted Construct Hulk punched the floor rapidly, unleashing multiple shockwaves and dropping several Corrupted Bombs that exploded upon contact.

After the team successfully evaded out of harm's way with several acrobatic flips from, Chris leapt towards the Construct Hulk, quickly plunged her Lifebane in the Construct's left eye, and gouged it out in one fell swoop.

The Icy Maiden managed to leap out of danger as the Corrupted Construct Hulk gave off an anguished roar and unleashed another huge shockwave by slamming his axe-shaped arms on the floor.

Death managed to evade the shockwave once more and picked up a dark, inert Corrupted Bomb.

As the Pale Rider threw the inert bomb towards the Corrupted, the latter attempted to slam its axe shaped right arm towards Chris and Lifebane.

Chris's left eyes glowed with the Rune of Ice once more.

_"Magnetic Ride Dampeners set at maximum. Maximum Strength - Engaged; Damage absorption and damage increase at the ready. Applying Project Tundra's signature element - Ice."_

The magnetic fillings upon the muscle fibres and bone marrows of Chris's body concentrated, solidified, and buffed both of her arms. Veins bulged out of Chris's biceps and triceps, and her ice crystals covered both her arms.

The Construct Hulk hammered his right axe arm down, but Chris raised her right arm up, halting the axe from going down any further with ease. A huge blast of cold air burst out from Chris's body as a deadlock ensued.

With both of her hands and a short battle cry, Chris grabbed the Construct Hulk's right arm, tore it off with immense might, and swung it back to the Corrupted's ribcage!

The inert Corrupted bomb contacted the Construct Hulk's face and exploded, bringing the already staggered construct on his knees once more.

"END IT!" Chris, Death, and Lifebane shot out.

Blasting off the approaching reinforcements, Chris used her twirled her merged Lifebane on one hand, switched into another hand with expert ambidexterity, twirled around on the spot while delivering a few more slashes on the core itself, unleashed a large cleave upon the core, and ending with a piercing huge icicle that erupted just below the core for good measure.

Death transformed into his Reaper Form, sliced the Construct Hulk's left arm off, and unleashed an uppercut slash on its chest. The impact was so strong that it sent the corrupted core flying.

With a strong, solid cleave, Reaper Form Death sliced the core in half. The Corrupted Construct Hulk roared its last as it crumbled apart, raining rocks upon the battlefield.

"I suppose that's more of your Project Tundra at work? That's something." Death praised.

"Your huge Reaper scythe too...Slicing off the Corrupted's left arm, impressive." Chris nodded calmly in return.

"Well, it's not called 'The Harvestor' for nothing. It can absorb souls even." Death grunted in satisfaction.

"If your Harvestor is strong enough, you could have used it often. So why aren't you?"Alito wondered.

"The Reaper Form was a power up given to me by the Charred Council when I became the Eldest of the Four Horsemen; the Harvestor came with that power up. I can use it only if the Council sanctioned it. There is a catch; the time it takes the Council to detect my Reaper Form's usage is ten seconds. That is about the time I need to finish a weakened enemy off." Death explained.

"So if the Council found out that you have used Reaper Form for more than ten seconds, they can trace you and punish you, right?" Chris asked.

Death nodded.

"Fair enough..." Chris replied.

"What about yours?" Death wondered.

"Well...Ever since obtaining the Project Programmes, I fitted in several biomechanical upgrades to complement the arcane magic that Kako imbued upon me and Alito. The magnetic fillings upon my muscles and marrows improve my stats to extreme levels." Chris summarized.

The team finally reached the sleeping Warden at the end of the temple. Birds perched upon its shoulders, pecking at the mosses, bugs, and vines. Its closed arms had a textured pattern of a seaside shell.

"Here goes nothing..." Death took a deep breath, materialised his spectral hands, and activated the Warden's 'heart' using the Makers' Key.

The ground rumbled as the Warden opened his arms and stood on all fours before standing on his feet. Moss grown out of his body as arches and slight cracks were present on his body. Two huge antler-like sticks acted like 'ears' for the Warden.

The Warden yawns deeply. "My...stone aches."

"You may ache, Warden, but you're not Corrupted. Not yet." Death replied.

"Corrupted...then it was not a dream. The makers have need of me." the Warden replied calmly in a deep, gruff voice.

"The makers say that you can reach the Foundry, and that a Guardian lies within." Death replied.

"The Foundry...yes. It is where I was...cast. But it was...lost. And now, you three will need my help." the Warden said.

"Corruption spreads across your realm, and you slumber?" Death asked in a snarling tone.

"Stone is heavy. It is easier to rest. In my dreams, I can move again. In my dreams, I am...flesh." the Warden replied.

Chris's thought wandered back to the nightmare she had yesterday. She thought she was a goner, forever consumed by Corruption. However, Alito gave the Icy Maiden the strength needed to take charge of her dreams...

"It's like...when we're in our realm of dreams...our bodies are virtually limitless because there's no limits that our normal bodies can take, yes?" Chris spoke.

"Yes...that is correct." the Warden nodded.

"But despite your limitless potential in the dream realm, wouldn't you have to face the harsh reality one day that you're still, for all intends and purposes, a Warden Construct?" Chris asked.

"Yes, but we all have someone who can support us in times of need even in dreams, right? I'm sure you will have nightmares at some point...and you think that no one can save you...only to be saved by someone who feels for you. I have it too, and so...do you." the Warden simpered.

Chris looked at Alito and blushed softly.

_"In times of need...In my case, that's Alito, right? We might have no solutions into tackling our grief, but somehow we felt comforted enough to tackle nightmares when the time comes..." _Chris's eyes then widened.

_"Why am I feeling all of these fluttery feelings now? My heart is beating faster...What is this? Calm down, Chris...calm the fuck down." _ Chris took a deep breath, and exhaled deeply.

"Some people said that it's the Lost Temple, but we think it's something more. What was it?" Alito wondered.

"I...cannot tell you. It's on the tip of my tongue, but...my tongue seems to be elsewhere." the Warden replied.

"To whom does your name belong, Warden?" Chris wondered.

"I came from a Maker named Bratus. Before I became a Maker, I am also a shaman maker, planting seeds of life towards the earth. I have seen the world revolving around me, yet my heart remained throughout the years." he claimed.

"Will you help us, old one?" Death replied.

"Yes..." the Warden nodded.

Death, Chris, and Alito leapt on the Warden's legs and then towards the branches that held its shoulders.

"Shall we?" Death nodded.

"Hold on, little one." the Warden replied.

The huge construct traversed through the Stonefather's Vale in slow, but big steps. His steps shook the earth, the skies, and even the birds perched among the trees. The stalkers could see the looming figure from miles away and escaped in fear, for even the beastly animals know the power of such towering proportions.

"In my slumber, I have felt the Guardian, reaching to my dreams. He is the strongest of us all. But in his heart, there is a hunger. The Guardian was built to destroy. He has much in common with Corruption." the Warden spoke.

"Wouldn't that mean I have much in common too, since I destroy heartless creatures?" Chris replied.

"I have heard about you and Alito in my dreams via the wind from the Stonefather's Valley. You are not heartless...for you destroy heartless creatures, and care for those who are innocent. The Guardian, however, was built with three Heart Stones from three Warrior Makers. They are strong and loved fighting, but that's all they do. They have a one-tracked mind; they desired fighting with no one's help." the Warden replied.

"I desire solace...so why am I not Corrupted?" Chris wondered.

"You have someone who is with you, right?" the Warden simpered.

Chris looked at a simpering Alito, and nodded.

"Yes...but...why?" Chris wondered.

"As I have said, I can connect to anyone's dream when I'm asleep. It just so happened that I wandered into your nightmare last night. You were running away from your sorrow, only for Corruption slowly pulling you down to Oblivion. However, someone is willing to share your pain. Someone is willing to help you bear the burden, to help you in achieving solace, even when the solution has not arrived yet. You and that 'certain someone' cleared off the Corruption that infected your wounds." the warden simpered.

Chris looked over to Alito, who blushed lightly and nodded lightly, simpering.

"Thank you...Alito." Chris simpered.

"Always...my Lady." Alito bowed.

The Warden bent his back down as the team leapt to the ground.

"You must speak with Eidard, and make your peace, before we can cross over. There may be no crossing back." said the Warden as he climbed over the mountain leading towards the Foundry.

The team looked on, as Chris broke the silence.

"Well...this is it. We activate the Guardian, clear off the Corruption, and get to the Tree of Life." she exhaled calmly.

"Well, let's get moving..." Death replied.

_**Makers Forge - Eidard**_

"We've restored your forge, and brought life to stone. But are we any closer to the tree? Tell us now, Old One, or you may never get the chance. I hear the Foundry is dangerous." Death asked.

"As is the tree, Horseman, and the entire forest, that is why you must awaken the Guardian. But have you asked yourself, 'Why seek the tree?'" Eidard questioned.

"The Tree of Life is where I will find my brother's absolution."

"And what is the reason for you both?" Eidard asked Chris and Alito.

"Destroy the perpetrator of Corruption, bringing stability to this dimension and ours." Chris replied and Alito nodded along.

"The Tree of Life is a gateway. From it, one may travel to places undreamed of. Whether a world of oceans and forests, or ice, or endless night...the Tree exists there. It may appear different, yet it is the same Tree and its roots connect all the Realms. The Tree of Life is not where journey's end, but where they begin." Elder Eidard explained.

"However, I know that the both of you wanted to seek something more than just destroying Corruption, right?" he continued.

"What you say...The meaning of Humanity, and is feeling emotions weak? What constitutes to being...human?" Chris wondered.

"There are some things that can only be solved by you. You will not find the solution immediately. Sometimes the destination might take years to get there; it is not something that you can put your hands on. One thing's for sure...it starts with you." the Elder simpered.

Chris looked at her right palm and clenched it.

"Thanks...Elder Eidard. These few days talking to you have cleared my mind. Alito and I might not have found some answers soon enough, but it could have been worse if we have not speak up." Chris nodded and simpered wistfully.

"You might be directionless at the moment, but all I can say is...You are headed towards the right direction. I believe in the both of you." Eidard smiled.

_"One day...Can I? Will I?" _Chris wondered.

An after image of Kako Takafuji flashed upon Chris's mind; the Fortune Lady's smile struck the Icy Maiden's usually icy heart.

_"Finding our humanity one day...What do you mean by that? Will we ever do that?" _Chris sighed.

She looked at her confidante, who gave a wistful simper, and calmed down.

_"At least solace is still round the corner...and at least...I have Alito by my side..."_


	16. The Lost Warden - Oran

_**Chapter 16: The Lost Warden - Oran**_

_**Back of the Makers' Forge - Near the Foundry**_

"So the time has come..." the Warden spoke.

"What is the Foundry, to begin with?" Alito wondered.

"It is a holy site, where soul is fused with stone." the Warden replied.

"So it's where the Constructs were created...Still, doesn't look so holy from here." Death shrugged.

"The darkness has spared little in our realm, but the Foundry is a place of magic. It is strong, and with help from you three we will claim it once more." the Warden simpered.

"What became of the other Wardens? Surely it ain't just you alone, right?" Chris wondered.

"In my dreams I have felt many of my brother, but only one still calls...Oran, a Warden most ancient...his song still haunts me, though his stone is lost..." the Warden replied calmly.

Chris's eyes widened as she recalled seeing a few odd-looking stones during the few times where the team travelled to the Charred Pass, Drenchfort, and the Lost Temple.

"Hang on...during the time that Death, Alito, and I travelled through the Forge Lands, I have seen some strange-looking stones that looked like you. Could that be...?" Chris asked.

"It could very well be Oran! I can feel him somewhere within the Forge Lands, but since you saw those strange-looking limbs, perhaps you can help us Constructs?" the Warden asked.

"It shouldn't take long in my Le Mans Quattro. Besides, it would not be great to have voices haunting your mind now and then, would you?" Chris questioned with a simper.

"Of course, it will be great help." the Warden nodded.

"But we still have the Foundry, and the Key must be required to activate the Constructs inside the building." Death replied.

Chris shook her head. "No problem at all."

_**The mountains near the Forge, where Oran's body resided.**_

The ancient being's body was greyish-blue and had a slightly plump, yet similar, appearance compared to the Warden of the Lost Temple.

"Here goes..." Chris exhaled calmly, buffed her hands with Project Tundra, and unlocked the heart inside Oran.

"Alright, Death, you ready to receive it via the Item Transporter device?" Chris called Death via the transmitter.

_"Well how am I supposed to work out this techno mumbo-jumbo?"_ Death gave a frown.

Chris gave a small chuckle along with Alito. "Just relax, Pale Rider, and stop whining."

_"What?! I'm not whining about..."_

"Sending 'em to you now!"

*BZZZT!*

_"Oh hey...Heh...that's a surprise. I still have no idea what this does but, I suppose it's your world's way of transporting stuffs?" _Death replied.

"Locally, but we're planning to expand it across continents and eventually, across dimensions that we have reached to a diplomatic understanding." Chris nodded.

"Well then, I will be going then. If you can catch up, do so." Death nodded.

"Right away, Pale Rider."

The Lost Warden's heart glowed blue as its forehead glowed along, awakening it from his slumber. It yawned and blinked several time to rid the blurring from its eyes.

"Who disturbs my sleep?" Oran wondered.

"We apologise if we disturb you, but the Warden of the Lost Temple told us about you. We figured that we awaken you to stop the haunting voices in the Warden's head." Chris bowed politely, along with Alito, while Oran bended over slightly to have a closer look.

"Hmmm...A fleshling in the Forge Lands. You have the look of neither Angel nor Demon. When I last woke, they were the children of creation. Humans, I suppose?" Oran's deep, gruff yet calm voice ruffled the grasses and flowers near him.

"Yes, we are. But we came not from this dimension; we came from the other dimension under the Dimensional Adventurers' Agency's sanction." Chris nodded.

Chris and Alito explained their purpose in travelling to this world.

"I see...When I last woke, the humans have not existed yet. I learnt of their arrival through the Councils' prediction in my dream." Oran spoke.

"How long have you been sleeping, o warden?" Alito wondered.

"How long? That I do not know, but I seem to be half my normal stature. When constructs sleep, the stone wanders. Perhaps you might find my wayward self, and return it to me." Oran replied.

"How can we do that?" Chris wondered.

"Take this." Oran gave a blue stone fragment with a spiralling carving upon its center. "It is a piece of me to reawaken the old stone, and remind it of life."

"Thanks, Oran." Chris and Alito bowed again.

"My name might be Oran, but that was me when alive. Now I'm in stone, and I have no name." Oran replied.

Chris scanned through the energy signatures of Oran's heart fragment and commanded the satellite to detect Oran's limbs based on the same energy signatures.

_**Triangulations process start - locate Oran's limbs based on Heart Fragment's signature level.**_

_**Locations detected - Charred Pass, Baneswood, Forge Lands, The Fjord. **_

_**Isolating specific locations - retrieving coordinates.**_

_**Coordinates received, uploading to Multi Media Interface of Audi Le Mans Quattro, Project Tundra, and Project Ventus. **_

As Chris and Alito attempted to find the third limb in the Forge Lands...

"My Lady..."

"Yes, Chris?"

"What if one day...I end up losing one limb while we are finding out the meaning of humanity, will you still...take care of me?" Alito wondered, giving a shy gaze over.

Chris pushed the brake on her supercar as it screeched into a halt, and placed her left hand on Alito's right.

"Why would you say that?" Chris gave a puzzled look.

Alito sighed. "When I saw just how vulnerable Oran was, I couldn't help but think this might inevitably happen to one of us. I mean, the monsters we will be facing after stepping past the Tree of Life will be stronger. What if..." She shook her head.

"Why would I not take care of you, Alito? I promised that I will take care of you, and vice-versa, when we did the Loyalty Oath four years ago, right?" Chris replied with an affectionate gaze upon Alito's eyes.

"Really?" Alito simpered.

"It's thanks to you that I'm able to overcome my nightmare yesterday before Corruption can get me. I know that even if it might take some time, you will follow me on my journey because we have a common goal - finding the meaning of Humanity and seeking the solace we so desire." Chris blushed as she gave a peck on Alito's lips.

"I promise, Alito...I promise. You trust me, yes?"

Alito squeezed Chris's hands slowly but firmly, giving a confident nod. "Yes, I do, and we will face the problems at hand, right?"

"Even if it takes us a lifetime, Alito, yes..." Chris gave a soft smile.

Alito pecked Chris's cheek. "Thanks...my Lady."

_"It's thanks to you, my Lady...that I'm able have solace despite my pains too..."_

_**After finding Oran's remaining two limbs...**_

Chris and Alito returned to where Oran was and nodded.

"Well...here goes nothing." Chris cracked her knuckles as she raised Oran's Heart Fragment.

Oran's eyes glowed blue as it soon began to attach his arms, and slowly lift himself to attach the legs on its hips. The Lost Warden slowly picked himself up, stretched, and gave a huge yawn.

"You are whole again, Oran." Chris simpered.

"Yes, my stone is whole once more. Thank you, fleshlings." Oran smiled, but his expression soon turned to a frown of concern. "But the makers...I feel their despair. The Corruption spreads, fleshlings...but perhaps there is still time."

"Then again...despair is a powerful force, Oran. And Corruption, even more so. I mean, it has nearly consumed me in my dreams, but not until she gave me the solace I need to sleep through last night." Chris simpered, eliciting a blush from her confidante again.

"There will be time; Death is finding the Guardian inside the Foundry." Alito nodded.

"True...But there is also a weapon besides the Guardian. The will of the remaining Makers must be rekindled, the will to fight the surrounding destruction! They must be reminded of the wonders we are capable of! Have you heard of the Makers' Chronicle?" Oran wondered.

"I'm afraid not, old one." Chris replied.

"It records our history, our lore, and our songs! Memory of it has faded, but it cannot be lost. Fleshlings...it's no mere coincidence that you revived me. We must find the Makers' Chronicle." Oran explained.

"If it is a weapon to counter the dimensional disruption's perpetrator, count us in." Chris nodded.

"Yeah!" Alito nodded.

"I am too large for secret places. But you are nimble, and small! I will need your help in finding it..." Oran replied.

"Right...Death should be powerful enough to find the Guardian; we will help you with the Chronicle. Where is it, though?" Chris wondered.

"Ah...it's been so long since I held it...I do not know where it lies. But if there is a shaman among the living makers, she will have the answer." Oran replied.

"She?" Chris mused on for a moment, only to recall passing by a white hair shaman with a blue shawl cloth wrapped around her eyes, holding a stick with potions in her waist.

"Right, we will return with the Chronicle." Chris nodded, and nodded to Alito.

_**Makers' Forge - Muria**_

"You must be the Shaman Muria that Death and Elder Eidard mentioned before, right?" Chris wondered.

"Yes, and I have heard about all that you have done so far for the Makers along with the Pale Rider. You have our gratitude, Chris and Alito." the white hair Shaman bowed.

"You don't have to mention it, Shaman. We do not want our realm to fall into darkness either. But this is not the reason we came for you." Chris replied calmly.

"Yes, what is it you seek, may I ask?" Muria wondered.

"The Makers Chronicle; Oran needs it." Chris replied.

"Oran? Do you mean the Lost Warden?" Muria asked.

Chris and Alito nodded.

"Blessed be the Stonefather...the most ancient of the Wardens is found. And we thought we lost 'em to Corruption. You have our thanks." Muria sighed in relief.

"It will be great if you could tell us the Chronicles' location." Alito simpered.

"I see...unfortunately, it lies hidden. Even I do not know where, but a Lodestone could show the Chronicles' location." Muria replied calmly.

"Lodestone?" Alito wondered.

"Yes...You see, the artifacts were hewn from the same stone, and they will strive to be united again. Should you carry a Lodestone, it will guide you to the Makers' Chronicle." the Shaman replied.

"Where can we find one?" Chris wondered.

"These stones are precious. They can be used only once. It will be impossible to separate the Lodestone from the Chronicles, once they are united." Muria warned.

"There is only one Chronicle, right? A single use is all we need." Alito replied.

"Very well, but I need something in return." Muria replied. "There is a dying species known as Shadow Leaf. Its seeds have powerful healing properties. Bring me the Shadow Leaf seeds, and I will point you to a Lodestone."

"Scattering the seeds of the Shadow Leaf to preserve and expand it for healing potions...sounds fair. Alright, we'll bite." Chris nodded.

"The stalkers and prowlers roaming the land enjoy eating the Shadow Leaf...you may have to carve the seeds from their bellies." Muria informed.

"The Fjord, let's go!" Chris shot out as it typed in the coördinates into her Scouter.

"What happened?" the Shaman wondered.

"Throughout our travelling in the Forge Lands, I set forth certain coördinates into my satellite system launched into this world. Those coördinates will become waypoints on my navigation device, which allow us to fast-travel." Chris explained, just in time for a flash of white light from the sky to teleport the Icy Maiden and Alito to the Fjord.

"Ready?" Chris asked.

Alito responded by transforming into Lifebane.

"Let's..." she replied.

Within minutes, Chris and Alito managed to find the six seeds needed to 'pay' for the Lodestone that Muria promised.

"Well...that's certainly sticky for a Prowler's blood and belly juice." Chris huffed calmly.

"Remind me why I never like jelly in the first place..." Alito snarled.

Chris and Alito teleported back into the Makers' Forge and hand in the six seeds.

"You're back..." the Shaman simpered.

"Have a little faith, will ya, Shaman? Here are your seeds." Chris replied.

"Thanks for your help, Chris and Alito. Just to be curious...why do you want to help Oran find the Makers' Chronicles, besides its use?" Muira wondered.

"If there's anything to counter the Corruption, the Makers' Chronicles will do. We do not want Corruption to destroy our world and yours." Chris clenched her fists in determination.

"Rest assured, Muira, we will do whatever we can to destroy the consuming darkness!" Alito nodded as she held Chris's hands.

Muira, despite being blind, could feel a small glimmer of light among the tainted darkness in Chris and Alito's wounded soul.

_"My staff could feel the light upon their wounded soul with my staff...It seems what Eidard said is true." _she simpered.

_**Few minutes later...**_

Chris's Project Tundra and her satellite systems managed to isolate the Lodestone's energy into the system, triangulate areas of the Forge Lands, and search for any areas with the same energy signature as the Lodestone.

Within seconds, the super computerized satellite managed to single down to several fallen columns on a broken structure North-west of Baneswood - the pathway to the Fjord via Stonefather's Valley.

_**Column Structures - Baneswood**_

"My Lady, look!" Alito's eyes lit up as she noticed a sparkle of light levitating and floating down towards Chris's Lodestone.

The item that emitted the light revealed itself a thick book with covers made from Lodestone. It has several cryptic writings craved in the book covers; the language of the Makers.

"The Makers' Chronicles...Let's get back to Oran!" Chris's eyes lit up and nodded.

Alito nodded happily.

_**Oran**_

"Here's your history, Oran." Chris handed over the Makers' Chronicle to the Lost Warden.

"The Chronicle-at last! It is as though the very souls of the Makers remain close to us through this tablet...I'm sure you will understand." Oran simpered.

"We do, Oran. It's nice to see that your Realm still hold out strong against all odds. You have our respect, old one." Chris bowed.

"It must have been hard on you, may your realm survive through the darkness ahead with the memories of the makers." Alito followed.

Oran chuckled softly. "The ones whom they called you the Icy Maiden and the Icy Wind, Chris and Alito...You are not as cold as you would have us all believe!"

Chris blushed and Alito blushed.

"It will be great if you could keep it to yourself, Oran...I'm just confused..." Chris sighed calmly.

"About your emotions and the meaning of Humanity, right?" Oran simpered.

"We believe that if we find the answers to these questions, the rest will be revealed to us. We just don't know where to start..." Chris shook her head.

"Start by seeking solace...when your soul is at peace, and your mind is one with your body, you are in a state of mind where you can tackle anything. You are in the right path, because you have each other." Oran chuckled.

Both the Icy Maiden and the Icy Wind looked at each other once more and blushed...

"My Lady..." Alito could feel her heart racing faster by the second.

"We can achieve this, yes?" Chris asked.

"Of course, my Lady...If anything, I want to achieve a peace of mind with you too!" Alito simpered.

Chris wrapped her arms around Alito's waist, simpering shyly as she locked her in a strangely warm embrace.

_"We might not have the answer yet...But in our journey to solace, we still have each other..." _Chris thought.

A few minutes silence, however, was broken by a loud crash.

Chris and Alito snapped out of their dreamy, looked up the skies from the Makers' Forge, and frowned as they saw big clouds of smoke and fire.

_"Chris, Alito! Trouble at the Foundry, the Guardian is corrupted!" _Death exclaimed.

Chris and Alito's eyes widened, "WHAT?!"


	17. The Guardian

_**Chapter 17: The Guardian**_

Chris and Alito rushed forth to the rendezvous point in the Stonefather Valley just in time to reunite with Death and saw Elder Eidard coerce the Guardian.

The Guardian was as tall as the mountain and as huge as the Tree of Life. It has the same features as Oran and the Warden of the Lost Temple and it has a huge right wooden hammer with a cannon-like left arm. Corrupted vines wrapped around its limbs and its face. Its right shoulder had many inert Corrupted Bombs.

Chris spotted three big heart stones that have yellow-green taint that ruined the once bluish-green purity.

"What happened? Why is the Guardian corrupted?" Chris shot out in worry.

"Apparently the last Heart Stone, that attached itself on the crown, is Corrupted. I thought the other two stones will cleanse the third, turns out I am wrong." Death frowned.

"Just our luck...Luckily all of the Makers inside the Forge ain't dead. Hurt, but not dead." Alito replied.

The Guardian brought his large wooden hammer down on Elder Eidard despite the latter's best effort to coerce the Guardian.

"NO!" the team screamed.

The hammer slammed the Guardian, unleashing a huge shockwave that uprooted the trees and rocks nearby, but not enough to blow the team away.

Chris, Alito, and Death cleared their eyes and were relieved to see Elder Eidard surviving the blow with an exceedingly powerful magic barrier he conjured up. However, the hammer's heavy impact bloodied the Elder Maker.

The Elder sighed and shook his head. "Makers' Bones that hurt!"

Eidard clenched his staff and teleported over to the trio, a look of concern written on his face. "He is beyond my control now. Do your worst..."

Chris scanned through the Guardian.

_**Morphology: Guardian**_

_**Status: Corrupted**_

_**Description: Target is Corrupted due to the Makers' Stone on its crown head. Attacks with strong hammer blows and shoots out large spiky Corrupted Bombs off its left arm. Weak spots are the three Heart Stones. Its attacks are slow but strong, and it has a short delay after hammering down once.**_

"You wait here, after I get it kneeling, we fight." Death commanded.

"Be careful." Chris nodded.

"I'm the ender of Life itself; I'm sure I need no concern." the Pale Rider replied.

With the knowledge from Chris's database, Death summoned his spectral horse Despair and rode around the Guardian, playing a game of cat and mouse.

The Guardian brought down its hammer, giving Death a window to shoot the Guardian's right hand. The bombs exploded and keeled the juggernaut construct on its knees.

Alito transformed to Lifebane. Chris sprint towards the Guardian's right arm, summoned a huge icicle platform from the ground, and attacked the right Heart Stone together with Death.

Within seconds, the Heart Stone began to show cracks as the Guardian found its balance and retracted its arm.

"Chris!" Death shot out.

The Icy Maiden nodded as she summoned another icicle platform, shattered it, and commanded the icicle shards to hit the bombs on the Guardian's right arm once more.

The Guardian keeled down once more as Chris, Lifebane, and Death shattered its right Heart Stone. The Guardian's right arm disintegrated as a result.

"Tactics have changed, watch out!" Chris warned.

The Guardian raised its left arm cannon towards the team and shot a huge spiky Corrupted bomb.

Death and Chris dodged just in time, the latter began to take out his redemption pistol and shoot the spiky bomb as it soon levitated in mid-air.

Sensing that the bomb might explode any instant, the team managed to stay behind the Guardian while constantly moving around to make sure the Guardian was in line with the Corrupted material. The giant bomb soon hurled itself towards the one-track minded giant and brought it to its knees with a huge impact explosion.

Chris and Death climbed up the ladder leading to the Guardian's arm cannon and slashed it several times. The Guardian rose up and it took Chris in the process as she attempted to remove the Lifebane out of the left Heart Stone.

The Guardian attempted to shake Chris off, but the Icy Maiden held on the hilt of her Lifebane stubbornly.

Chris managed to get a lock-on at the Guardian's face and shot a concentrated blast of ice towards it, blinding the Guardian and causing it to lose balance. The Guardian created a huge, dusty shockwave as it fell down, but Death dodged it easily with a high jump.

Joining Chris in a final barrage of slashes, Death managed to shatter the left Heart Stone. The left arm dislocated and the Guardian's body fell apart, raining rocks in the process.

"That was a wild one..." Chris huffed as she wiped off sweat from her forehead.

However, the Guardian's head was not finished yet. It screeched, with its mouth full of corruption, as it attempted to attach itself back in shape. Death frowned and quickly climbed up the ascending rock pieces, jumped above the Guardian's head, transformed into the Reaper Form, and plunged his Harvestor straight into the Head's Heart Stone, shattering it to smithereens.

The guardian roared its last as its eyes lost its lustre and dropped on the floor, lifeless and without purpose.

As the team attempted to catch their breath, a weak Elder Eidard limped past them.

"The three of you have no choice but to destroy him. Yet, if the path to the Tree of Life is to be cleared, I have no choice but to bring him back." Elder Eidard said calmly.

Death frowned. "How many times would you have me kill him?"

"The Guardian will resurrect itself as a Newborn, free of Corruption." Elder Eidard replied.

Chris's eyes widened as soon as she realised what Eidard is about to do. She shook her head despite keeping her cool.

"Please, Elder Eidard, there must be other way to defeat this monstrosity in front of us! You don't have to sacrifice your life for this!" Chris replied in worry.

"You know I have to, Chris..." Elder Eidard smiled sadly.

"My Lady is right; maybe there could be other ways! What will the other Makers think if they found out their father figure is gone?" Alito shook her head.

"Sometimes life gives us no choice but to perform certain tasks. What matters is not the result, but it's how you react to adversities. My body might be gone, but my wisdom shall carry on within every Maker's mind and heart." Elder Eidard simpered wistfully.

Chris looked down and clenched her fists, blood seeping out of her palms as her nails dug deep within her palms' flesh.

There was no other choice...

If she and Alito needed to prevent the dimensional disruption into becoming a large interdimensional disaster, they had no other choice - Eidard had to go...

Chris resolved to react 'positively' - seeking solace with the Eidard's words of wisdom.

"Eidard...Elder Eidard...you are the closest I have ever got to a father-figure. You have earned my respect when I saw the measures you will take to preserve the last of your realm. You have shared your wisdom with me. You have encouraged me, and convinced me, to seek solace and the meaning of humanity! Your words of wisdom have also brought Alito and me together! Even if it is just for a few days, we want to say...thank you!" Chris looked at the Elder, bit her lips, and take a big bow with her confidante.

Chris and Alito gave Elder Eidard a huge hug, which elicited a soft chuckle from the Elder Maker.

"I'm glad, you two...Mighty glad. Take charge of yourselves, Chris and Alito, and may you find the solace needed to calm yourselves down. Only then, will you be in a clear state of mind to find the meaning of humanity..."

"Even if it takes me a few years, we will not let your efforts down!" Chris and Alito shot out, holding each other's hands.

Elder Eidard raised his staff as soon as Chris and Alito stood back for a few strides.

"Stand aside...This will take more than a small effort." the Elder Maker hammered the staff on the ground, releasing a powerful stream of blue aura containing the Eidard's Lifeforce. The Guardian's scattered body parts glowed blue as it began responding to Eidard's life force, reconstructing themselves one by one.

"You know you won't survive this!" Death shot out.

"I am a Maker. That task defines my very purpose, as the reaping of souls defines your own, and preventing history from repeating itself for Chris and Alito. There is no escaping it!" Elder Eidard replied firmly.

The Guardian reconstructed itself thanks to the Eidard's life force. The shattered crown Heart Stone pieced itself together and reattached itself to the Guardian's forehead. Its eyes glow pure blue; a symbolism of being reborn and free of Corruption, ready to serve its purpose once again.

The surge of energy soon dispersed as Elder Eidard slumped on the ground; his breathing gradually became weak as his remaining life force slowly drained away into the earth.

Chris, Alito, and Death hurried over to Elder Eidard, with the Icy Maiden clasping her father figure on his right hand tightly.

"Get to the Tree...Your journey is far from over. Moreover, as for Chris and Alito...stay strong, for you will find the answer one day. Promise me...you will find it, okay?" Elder Eidard asked.

Chris and Alito nodded."We will, Elder Eidard...We will..."

Elder Eidard smiled softly for the last time as Chris felt Eidard's lost grip; he passed on.

Alito squeezed Chris's left shoulder with her right hand, feeling intense sadness for the lost of a wise fatherly figure...

Chris clenched her fists once more. As she slowly stood up and dusted the dirt on her armor, a single tear slid down her cheek.

_"Elder Eidard...I promise you...Alito and I promise you...We will find the solace needed to begin the journey of discovering humanity's meaning." _Chris nodded softly.

"I thought you would just mope about..." Death wondered in amazement.

"We have either two choices, Pale Rider. We either mope around and get us to nowhere...or move on and doing what we should be doing - to seek the necessary solace needed. We go for the latter..." Chris shot back calmly, with Alito holding Chris's hands and nodding firmly.

"Even till death?" Death asked.

"Even till death..." both Chris and Alito's words rang upon Death's mind.

The Guardian moved his right index finger on the Eidard's lifeless body, realised that he was gone for good, and gave a loud, deep, and echoing roar...

The colossus swung its hammer straight at the Corrupted Eye guarding the Tree of Life. The latter used its tentacle to grab hold of the Guardian, attempting to infect it once more, but the will of Eidard still remained within - the Guardian's eyes glowed blue. It overloaded its body with Makers' life force and soon self-destructed, taking the Corrupted eye along with it.

Chris and Alito stood amidst the strong burst of wind caused by the Guardian's self-destruction, and saluted with a solemn look upon their faces.

_Thank you...Elder Eidard._

_If Alito and I could find solace and the meaning of Humanity one day, we will pay tribute for you. Remember this..._


	18. Our Fears and Hopes

_**Interlude: Our Fears and Hopes - The Kiss under the Moonlight**_

_**Maker's Forge**_

Chris, Alito, Death, and the Makers spent the next few hours putting fires out and cleaning the mess that the Corrupted Guardian made hours ago.

"I could have never believed this day would have come...Elder Eidard passed on...He's our father figure and all..." Alya shook her head, tears brimming out from her eyes as she embraced Chris and Alito tightly.

"At least Elder Eidard sacrificed his life to take out the Corruption in your realm." Chris consoled.

Minutes of calming down later, Alya gave a sad smile.

"You're right...at least he passed on while sacrificing for the greater good. But what are you going to do next?" Alya wondered.

"Seeking solace...If we have to do anything, Alito and I have to seek solitude first before we are in a better state of mind to find things. It's thanks to Elder Eidard that we have some sort of goal to work on, for now. What will happen after that - whether it's my fault for my loved ones' death and the meaning of humanity - is unknown. However we can either do two things, either mope around, or at least get up and do something useful." Chris replied.

"Aren't you wondering about what happens after you achieve it?

"Not yet...But hey, even if we die while doing so, at least we die while doing something instead of moping around and being a half-witted dumbass like most non-adventurers back in our world, right?" Chris chuckled sheepishly, with Alito blushing wistfully.

"We hope the Stonefather be with you, Chris and Alito!" Alya simpered.

"May our triumph over Corruption be of comfort to you Makers!" Chris and Alito nodded.

Meanwhile, Death and Thane were having a conversation too.

"So...you have helped us with our problems. Well, you have our gratitude, Pale Rider. Mayhaps I am too old for fighting." warrior Maker grunted.

"Age isn't everything, Maker. Didn't Chris tell you a couple of days earlier?" Death replied.

"Yeah, but I still feel that you need to prove yerself to earn your name. Chris and Alito did by being more powerful and mentally stronger than any kind of humans we may have encounter through our lifetime, so I'm sure you can do that too? Achidna and Argul, those are the ones we call death. Kill 'em all, and perhaps I can see you as a true reaper!" Thane offered.

"Sounds like a challenge, but if I am to be your executioner I would hear more of those that I am to kill." Death replied calmly.

"Sure, I will tell you what I know." Thane nodded.

"Still...even I know the name Achidna, the Spider Queen from the Realm of Shadows - Ysilik. Why do you seek her death?" Death asked.

"An old debt, forged before your time." Thane replied.

"All know the shadow realm of Achidna - why do you not travel there and kill her?" the Pale Rider wondered.

"I have tried - only to find her realm in chaos. The Spider Lords had bathed her throne in blood - and Achidna was nowhere in sight. I spent years after years following her trail to the realm of the dead - then all this happened. I returned home to my people, and left old debts unpaid." Thane sighed.

"Tell me about Argul." Death asked.

"Ah. He is mad man, a beast in need of killing. I had sight on the deed myself, when the current Lord of Bones rose up and defeated the mad King of the undead." Thane spoke.

"Then...Argul is no more?"

"My bones have always told me otherwise. The Old King lives, I am sure of it. He is not really a bad king, per se. He just needs to be freed from all the suffering and madness that he suffered through the eons, yer know. All the talking and mumbling about the arrival of the Four caused him to fear for his life and eventually went to the path of insanity." Thane sighed.

"If he's strong, then someone might have conspired against him to go mad." Death frowned.

Death soon met up with Chris and Alito.

"Well...we are going to set off first thing tomorrow. We had better get some rest now; things are definitely going to be hectic the next day." Death said.

"Yeah...Wonder where the tree will take us." Chris exhaled deeply.

Not another was said that day between the three, that is, until night fell, when Chris and Alito were looking at the Tree of Life from the Forge's rooftop. The remains of the Guardian scattered throughout the plains, and the Tree stood tall and proud. The Tree's warm, yet mystical purple aura radiated from branches warned the two women about the unknown dangers ahead.

"My Lady..."

"Yes, Alito?"

"Are you...scared?"

"About?"

"Tomorrow...no one knows where this Tree will take us. It might take us back to Earth, it might even let us face the Corruption face to face, or it might just kill us...One thing's for sure, my Lady, things will be way harder from then onwards."

Chris brought her hands towards Alito and clenched it softly.

"To be honest, Alito..." Chris sighed. "Yes...Yes, I'm scared. But not because of the monsters we will face, rather, it's about the challenges we will face when we are trying to find solace."

"Really?"

"Even with Eidard's words, I wonder what will happen to us on our way. Will we ever find solace? Will we ever get to that point where we can start wondering about what the fuck Humanity was and the meaning of human emotions? Will we ever find the answer we so desire, or are we going to die trying? All of these 'will we' questions kept popping into my heads, it's rather scary. I mean...for someone whom people revered to as 'A Maiden of Ice', 'The Blizzard', and 'The Fearless Maiden'...I ain't all of these now, right?"

Alito looked on.

"For someone who can help out people, eliminate heartless morons that S.W.A.T can;t solve, and eliminate heartless monsters that the Adventurers Guild commissioned, I sure have loads of personal problems up my sleeves..." Chris admitted and gave a wry smile.

Alito wrapped her arms around Chris's waist and held her close, drawing a soft gasp from the Icy Maiden.

"My Lady...I thank you for talking to me about what's been bothering you, because I know you placed your trust in me and vice-versa. Thank you." Chris's confidante smiled softly.

Both women could feel a warm blush spreading across their cheeks. "Alito..." Chris softly replied.

"We might not find the answers now, but your problems are my problems. We might not show it to others, but allow me to worry your problems for you as we journey to find our needed solace." Alito simpered.

Chris returned Alito's heartfelt embrace...

"Thanks again...Alito."

"As always, my Lady, as always..."

The two women smiled shyly and closed their eyes as their lips slowly met in a sweet, warm, and soft kiss...

Their first kiss...

The warm, gentle wind caressed Chris and Alito's clothes. Their hair flowed with the gentle breeze as the two women's heartbeat raced as one.

_We remind ourselves, constantly, that we will be with each other. Be it in heart, or in spirit, we will be there for each other. _

_Alito...I have fallen for you, and I do not regret it._

_I promise, if we get to the answer to humanity...I will confess to you once more as our new 'us'..._


	19. Absolute Shock

_**Phase Three of Darksiders: Frozen Assets**_

_**Author: Chieri Sono AKA 10**__**th**__** Yuko Oshima**_

_**Co-Author: Nagisa Motomiya AKA Acchan the 14**__**th**__** and Kanata Shinonome AKA Takamina the 6**__**th**_

_**Illustrator: Mayu Watanabe Type 3**_

_**Chapter 19: Absolute Shock - The darkness that lurked within!**_

_**Early Morning - Stonefather's Valley**_

The birds chirped, swooping down as they attempted to catch the fresh worms poking out of the earth. The ambient sunrays shone through the skies as daylight broke, signifying a brand new day. the calm, rush of the waterfall calmed the air as it echoed throughout the Forge Lands.

Peace finally arrived for the first time in the Forge Lands since the death of the Corrupted Eyes yesterday.

"Well, this is it! Go forth and prove your brother's innocence, Horsemen! As for Chris and Alito, please help us rid the world of Corruption; we will do whatever we can for the makers to survive!" Alya nodded.

"We will not let your efforts down, Alya!" Alito nodded.

"Karn?" Chris shot out.

"Heheh...yeah?" the bald Maker laughed sheepishly.

"Do not cause any trouble for the makers, alright? It's fine to be the hero once in a while, but going way too far will lose what made you, you. Mm?" Chris asked in a soft, gentle tone, waving her right index finger while shaking her head.

"Well, with so much things happening nowadays, I will moderate it, that's for sure!" Karn grinned.

Valus approached the two Maidens and gave them a bear hug once more, nearly crushing Chris and Alito's circuits.

"Owowowowow! Easy there, Valus!" Alito chuckled.

"You have saved our realms, Death. For that, you have our gratitude. But be forewarned, you will be walking further into the depths of darkness from now on, and learn things that you haven't learn before through the lifetime despite your age; whether you can accept it is a matter of choice." Muira nodded.

"Rest assured, Shaman, there is nothing that can past through me. You do what you can for your kin, old one, and I do so for mine." Death replied in kind.

"As will I, Horseman. And as for you both..." the Shaman nodded as she turned her attention towards Chris and Alito, who just got out of Valus's bear hug.

"Yes?" Chris and Alito replied.

"Your journey to solace begins, Chris and Alito. I hope all the best that the both of you achieve the peace you so desire in the years to come." Muira nodded.

Chris and Alito nodded as they held each other's hands.

"So the time has come...Good luck, and may the spirits of the makers be with you." the Lost Temple's Warden spoke calmly.

"Rest assured, with the Makers' Chronicles, the surviving makers will thrive through!" Oran nodded.

"So long, Makers! Hope we can make again!" Chris waved goodbye.

"May the Stonefather be with you, Horsemen and the two women!" Alya shot out as she waved goodbye.

The trio waved goodbye as they left for the Tree of Life.

_**Path leading to the Tree of Life**_

"Argul...the mad King, huh? So you think that he's been conspired against to be mad, right?" Chris wondered.

"If what Thane said is true, it could be. Besides, I know a bit of Argul. Though it's not much, I know enough to think that he might be conspired." Death frowned.

"How?" Alito wondered.

"Argul has the element of Ice, thus he has the power of the chilling Abyss. If Thane said that Argul is fair and just while ruling the Land of the Dead, despite possessing the power of the Abyss, then he should not be afraid of us. Someone must have conspired against Argul to go mad at the mention of the Four Horsemen, or taken advantage of Argul's weakened mentality during an illness, maybe?" Death replied.

"I see..." Chris nodded.

"Where do you think the Tree will lead us?" Alito wondered.

"Only time will tell but the greatest risk is to do nothing." Death replied.

_**Tree of Life**_

The Tree loomed ahead as a huge metal door was seen in front of the team. Huge, thick roots branched out and dug deep into the ground with flowers growing out of its roots. In the middle of the door lay a hatch that has the sign of a sun's face.

"Why do I feel that's not going to be that easy?" Chris wondered, feeling a slight shiver upon her spine.

It was.

All of a sudden, black liquid suddenly oozed out of the hatch and before anyone can react, the liquid spewed out several branches of Corruption and wrapped the trio around their waists!

"Death, watch out!" Chris shot out.

Try as they might the grip of Corruption proved too strong. The 'arms' of Corruption quickly pulled the trio into the trees, giving them no time to scream for help...

_**Black Void**_

Chris, Alito, and Death soon came face to face with a black, muscular silhouette with tubes of Corruption attached on his back and a huge, sharp jaw.

The surroundings were nothing but fragments of Corruption vapour rising out of the thick, black, gooey floor. Corruption reigned supreme in this area.

_"And so you have come, bearing your sin like a badge of honor. Well, and what do we have here? Two women whom I knew nothing about...From what I have seen, you must be humans. What is it that you three seek?" _a deep, ominous, and growling voice came out of the silhouette's mouth.

"The return of mankind." Death frowned.

"You must be the perpetrator who caused all of this hoo-hah. We are here to destroy you!" Chris shot out as she commanded Alito to transform to Lifebane and charged forth.

The silhouette smirked as a huge tower of Corruption erupted from the ground and struck the Icy Maiden by surprise!

"GAHHH!" Chris and Lifebane were thrown back into a thick, black wall. Cracks started forming on its side as Chris fell down on her knees with blood on her lips.

_"Damn it...this Corruption is not any kind of Corruption we have seen before...took me by surprise there. Not gonna repeat that mistake again." _Chris winced, but keeled down later from the after-effects of the impact. The Project Tundra recorded the mistakes Chris made to make sure she anticipates it next time round.

_"Heh...To a barren planet, shorn of life?" _the silhouette grunted,_ "As for you two, you two pathetic humans...what makes you think you can defeat me? Humans are weak and simple they would not survive this resurrection - nor do they deserve it!" _

"That is no ours to judge. I do this to spare War from the Council's punishment." Death replied firmly.

Chris's Project Tundra quickly recovered itself and managed to get a detailed sight of the silhouette.

Her eyes widened - the scans revealed exactly the same detail as the monstrosity that she met in her nightmare!

Alito attempted to charge forth once more but Chris managed to stop her.

"Don't." Chris shook her head. "Something tells me that the silhouette is related to Death."

Alito wondered why as she scanned through the daunting figure with her Project Ventus, her eyes widened shortly after.

"The exact figure that we seen in our nightmare...and its details are exactly what Death described during his recount of the Eden War!" she gasped.

"Let's not take action first; it's sometimes wise to get some info relating the two. Besides, given our injuries now, going against it will be suicide." Chris frowned.

"Roger, my Lady." Alito nodded.

Meanwhile...

"And what of the Nephilim? Would you save but one, and not the rest?" the silhouette grunted.

"The Nephilim are a threat to the Balance." Death replied.

"If we had taken Eden, none of this would have happened. Yet you rode against us - slaughtered our flesh, then bound our souls in your amulet!" the silhouette bellowed.

"Ha, got you right where we want!" Chris smirked as she quickly recovered from her injuries thanks to her '_Quattro Sentinel EX Cardiovertor Defibrillator' augmented upon its heart to regenerate health._

"What?!" the silhouette's eyes widened, stunned.

"Cardiovertor Defibrillator - this biological augments from my heart allows me to regenerate my wounds using bio-electrical energy! You're not taking us down easily...Absalom!" Chris frowned.

"What?! Absalom?" Death's eyes widened.

"How is it that you know who I am? The one that Death used to call me...'Brother'..." the silhouette squinted to take a closer look at Chris and Alito, then bellowed in anger.

"You! You both must be the ones whom I have attempted to infect your dreams!" the silhouette roared.

"Wait, how'd you know it's him?" Death asked.

Chris replied, "Remember when the Warden of the Lost Temple told us about going into my nightmare? After I am freed from the Corruption's grip thanks to Alito, we managed to get a clear look at the one's responsible for my nightmare. The avatar looked the same as you have described for Absalom during your Eden War's recount. The same axe, same body structure, same voices, same jaws, same crown, same spike on his back, everything points towards one possibility..."

Chris and Alito then pointed their left and right index fingers at the silhouette. "You are Absalom!"

The silhouette looked down and gradually broke into a loud and deep, dark, and evil laughter.

"So you are Absalom..." Death frowned.

"Ah...I have forsaken that name. Now I am Corruption. The day you raised your scythe against us, I was born. And soon, I will be all. The Tree of Life has fallen to my darkness, from withered root to fruitless limb - and even Death himself cannot escape it!" Absalom summoned several Corruption Vines from his side once more.

"This time...I WILL END YOUR LIVES!" Absalom roared.

_***WARNING. WARNING. BOSS FIGHT INTIATED - ABSALOM***_

"Not anymore ya not!" Chris smirked as she nodded to Death, who nodded in return. Alito promptly transformed into Lifebane once more.

Thanks to the mistakes that were recorded into Chris's Project Tundra, Chris managed to dodge past the Corruption Vines with Death.

"What?" Absalom, blinded by his past feud with his brother, failed to see Chris's ability to learn from her mistakes using bio-augmentations and only managed to block Chris's attack with his Absolution.

Death managed to dodge past all the incoming Corruption Vines with his flips and leaps, slashed past several of them, and managed to join Chris in the fray.

The force of the three weapons' collision was so strong that despite the standstill, a huge burst of energy broke through, destroying all the surrounding Corrupted vines with ease.

Chris and Alito's daggers that Valus gave them as a present gradually brightened up, resonating with Chris's glowing blue eyes and Lifebane's glowing hilt.

"What?! Impossible! Not that light in the nightmare again!" Absalom's eyes widened, been unable to anticipate the light once more.

Chris and Death nodded. "NOW!"

Both parties let out their battle cries as they did a powerful cleave with their weapons, inflicting two large slashes across Absalom's chest.

Absalom roared in pain as Chris and Death landed few strides from the Corrupted Avatar.

"That's strange...he's easily destructible for us, why?" Death wondered.

"He's not the real deal." Chris frowned.

"Run this by me again?" Death wondered.

"We're not at the source of Corruption yet. The Tree of life is just another station for him to manifest his silhouette, his true self could be in another place." Alito explained.

Chris, Alito, and Death heard a loud grumble as they turned their attention to the dying Absalom's afterimage.

"Ahhahahaha...Chris, Alito...you humans who reckoned yourselves as 'not humans', we will meet again! As for the Pale Rider, know the very day that Corruption will overtake the realm of the living, and other dimensions as well! Corruption will devour everything in sight, so savour this victory while it last...brother!" Absalom roared as a flash of light engulfed the trio.

Within seconds, the trio shook her head as they gathered their senses back.

The horizon right in front of him was nothing but a desert devoid of life. Skies and sands were grey and dusty, clouds blocked out the sunlight with dry winds bringing forth mini dust storms occasionally.

Skeletons roamed from afar, giving dry, parched groans. Branches of dry, spooky dead trees swayed in mid air as skeleton bones scattered throughout the lands like pepper.

"The Land of the Dead..." Death frowned.

"What?" Chris and Alito wondered.

"The Land of the Dead is a place where living things go when they die, as souls that is." Death explained.

"Alright, so this is the Land of the Dead. Since the Tree brought us here, we might as well find out why." Chris suggested.

"What do you mean? I thought the Tree's purpose was to bring us to our destination! This is not where we are supposed to go!" Death protested.

"Death, let's calm down! Calm your Reaper Energies down, for the love of Samsarel!" Alito shot out.

Death exhaled deeply and managed to calm his breathing after a few minutes.

"Look, we have to summarize the info we got until now. Absalom is the Avatar representing Corruption, the forces of darkness that threaten to overtake all of Creation eventually if we don't make it history." Chris spoke.

"Darn it...that means the way to rescue the Red Rider will fall too if we don't destroy Corruption. It seems we have to change our focus for a while." the Pale Rider sighed.

"Problem is, someone must have caused the Nephilims to go bonkers when Absalom received the news about his kind's exile from Eden." Alito frowned.

"Why do you think so?" Death wondered.

"Think about it, Corruption is Hate given life, right?" Chris explained.

Death nodded.

"Hate is just an abstract thing - it cannot be brought to life unless a medium exists." Chris explained.

"Absalom is the medium...The meaning of living, breathing, Hate! Absalom is Corruption!" Death replied.

Chris snapped her fingers and nodded.

"But even then...it's not enough for him to turn into this big, black, gooey substance that consumed Creation as we know it, right? When he dies, hate dies with him. I ended his hate, right?" Death asked.

"That's when **'That Certain Someone'** comes in." Alito replied. "Someone might have instilled enough hate on Absalom by spouting words that probably drove him mad. Absalom's words as a leader, and his convincing tone should be enough to rally the entire Nephilim into a killing spree."

"As time goes on, that **'certain someone'** might have encouraged Absalom in secret to continue his rampage and convinced him that he was doing the right thing. That **'Certain Someone' **will then use some black magic to turn the Nephilim and Absalom's excessive Corruption into the black gooey substances, which broke free when you killed their bodies." Chris explained.

"That might be true...but where do we find that certain someone?" Death wondered.

"Someone who, A - Is outside of the race yet knows Absalom and the Nephilims well, B - someone who knows strong, black magic from the Abyss, and C - Knows Eden." Alito replied.

"So...since Absalom consumes all, it's most likely he will anticipate my movement and try to be one step ahead of me. Thing is...where are we supposed to go now?" Death wondered.

The trio looked around to see any signs of the living and they saw one moving figure from some distance.

"Well...at least someone _lives_ here." Death frowned.


	20. Getting to know you better

_**Chapter 20: Getting to know you better**_

Chris, Alito, and Death approached the wandering figure near a bridge. It was an elderly figure with a purple, wrinkled goat head and four Satyr-like horns.

He possessed a short but thick white beard and wore a brown cloak with gold highlights around his blue overalls. He carried several potions by his shoulder pads, his necklace, and his small purse on his left waist. He was holding a large pipe on his right hand, smoking away.

"Ahh, the Pale Rider. Isn't it odd that so many have come here by your hand? Yet you rarely visit the Dead Kingdom. And who might you two women be?" the goat-like figure spoke in a deep, grumbling voice.

"I am Chris, and this is Alito. We're following Death when this thing happens." Chris shrugged.

Death sighed. "We had no plan to visit this wretched place. We sought the Tree of Life. We found it. Now we're stuck here."

The goat-figure chuckled. "The tree is no destination my friend - only a portal to other worlds. If the tree is what you seek, then you have arrived."

"Then we've been betrayed." Death frowned.

The figure shook his head and his right hand. "Not so hasty. The tree is wise beyond imagining. If it brought you here, then here is where you belong. Perhaps I can help."

"I doubt it." Death crossed his arms.

The goat figure warned, "You would be wise to heed me. I have a merchant's skill to grant your deepest desire, and I can share knowledge that is beyond what you might want."

Chris placed her left hand on Death's right shoulder. "We're stuck here, and we need all the information. His tone seems wise enough."

Death grunted, and then replied, "I would redeem my brother. Restore the Balance."

"Mmm yes! I have heard the tale. Your brother rode, though no call was given - and mankind paid the price." the merchant replied.

"Guard your tongue merchant." Death warned.

"I gave no judgement friend; only pass on that which I have been told." the goat merchant shook his head. "You were right to seek the Tree - but it is only the gateway. What you seek is the **Well of Souls**."

"The Well of Souls can restore Humanity?" Death wondered.

"And more." the merchant nodded. "The Well channels the dead into this kingdom, from every world, above and below. It is also how souls are brought back into creation, when they are ready to be reborn."

"So that's what the Well of Souls is..." Chris nodded.

"Speaking of the Dead Kingdom, you still haven't said what you are." Death frowned.

"The history of my people was burned to ash, along with our world, forgotten even by those who...destroyed them. Now...only the smoke remains." the merchant replied. "We were not the first, nor will we be the last. It is the way of things."

"The way of things is Balance." Death replied.

"And what balances life? Nothingness. Or...Corruption. Eventually, it consumes us all." the merchant replied.

"So it seems...None of this explains what you're doing here." Death asked.

"I am merely a humble merchant with a taste for the finer things. In life, and in death. I am Ostegoth. And it would amuse me to offer you my wares." he replied.

Death frowned. He never knew the Tree of Life was a portal to _other worlds._

"Tree of Life? Tree of Death? Portals to other worlds? I know none of this. How is it I have remained so blind - or does your tongue only spit lies?" Death snarled.

"Much was kept from the Nephilim - and from the four." Ostegoth grunted.

"Why?" Chris wondered.

"Because power must be tempered with ignorance." Ostegoth replied.

"I thought responsibility and discipline plays a part as well?" Chris wondered.

"I never say it couldn't play a part. If the Nephilim knew the true nature of the Tree, all would have perished." Ostegoth replied.

_"Nephilims were too angry to know reason. If they know about the Tree of Life, every race would be eliminated before the victims could say 'oops!'." _Chris thought.

"I forsook the Nephilims - became a warrior for the Balance, even killed my own people. I protect these worlds, you and the tree. Yet still I remain in the dark." Death frowned.

"Forsaken, yes. Forgotten, no. The blood of the Nephilims lives on in you. But what do I know? I am but a simple merchant." Ostegoth chuckled.

Chris sighed as she replaced the words 'Nephilims' with 'Humans'.

_"I might forsake my humanity without knowing its meaning, yet the ones I helped never forget it...The blood of the humans lives on in me...but what is humanity?" _she thought.

Chris then shook her head. _"Focus, Chris...Solace is what Alito and I seek, and our aim is Corruption's elimination. Don't lose track now."_

"What if we want to return to the Forge Lands?" Death asked.

"The Tree of Life has many portals, Rider. Some may help you retrace your path. Many portals are closed, but the one to the Forge Lands remains open." Ostegoth replied.

"Pretend that we believe you. Where should our search begin?" Chris asked.

"You must scale the Serpant's Peak, and summon the Eternal Throne. There, the Lord of Bones slumbers. He will guide you to the Well...or he will have your soul." Ostegoth grunted. "Before you go, though, consider this. My people may be lost, but their relics yet remain. You may come across them in your travels. They are worthless to most, but valuable to me. Return them, and I will trade relic for coins."

"We will try, Ostegoth." Chris and Alito nodded.

As they left Ostegoth for Serpent's Peak, Chris and Alito could feel ice creeping down their spines.

"Ice...I can feel it creeping down my soul." Chris frowned.

Death, too, could feel it as he pointed his bony right index finger towards a huge building shaped like a London clock tower.

"Maybe it's Argul. I could feel the power of the Abyss in my veins." Death frowned.

Shortly after ploughing through some wandering skeletons, the trio made it to the tower's entrance. Slamming the doors open, a spiral staircase revealed itself, with a rush of frigid air rushing out.

"With castles like this, who needs air-conditioning?" Chris raised her eyebrows.

Chris, Death, and Alito trudged down sets of staircases down into a huge door with skeleton ornaments.

As soon as Death opened the door, a rush of cold air rushed out of the room. There were two frozen ice skeletons and two more wandering ice skeletons in front of them.

"Let's release Argul from his madness first. I have something to prove to Thane." Death grunted.

"As the Reaper, right?" Chris asked.

"Of course, I want to prove that I live up to my name. I don't like it when people misjudge or underestimate my powers." Death warned.

"I'm sure we can join in, no?" Chris asked.

"Thane wants you to get a taste of fighting other powerful creatures aside from Corruption. Why not?" Death replied.

"Thanks...I thought you might accuse us of kicking the boss's ass in the last second, or in our world's case, kill-stealing." Chris gave a small chuckle.

"What do you mean?" Death wondered.

"Oh, you know, people playing a computer role-playing game and just as they are about to finish off an enemy, someone cuts in and kills off your enemies for you! To make things worse, they steal your loot. Hence the name, kill-stealing." Chris shrugged.

"Your world sure has some interesting cultures, especially in the Kingdom of Man." Death replied in amusement as they smashed through the four skeletons rather easily.

"What about you, Death? Is there anything you have done over the eons aside from maintaining the Balance? Surely you must have done something in your free time, right?" Lifebane called out.

"Well, aside from maintaining the Balance...Just living in a desolate wasteland, that's all." Death shrugged.

As they entered another door with a huge pit filled with spikes and wooden planks, the only safety platforms...

"You don't feel bored?" Chris asked in amusement.

"Not at all. Maybe it's just me though..." Death grunted.

"That's boring, I have to admit." Chris chuckled softly as Death and Chris leapt and grabbed hooks with Soul Grip and Frigid Fists to leap for the other side of the plank.

"That or I create weapons of world-ending powers used in defeating an enemies' world for the Balance. You know, it's better to have a boring lifestyle then to have something chaotic happening. Even if a chaotic event happen I don't just wait for an end or a resolution, I make them happen." Death replied as the trio climbed up the wall and planks.

"Fair enough...Cultural differences, I guess." Chris replied.

"Your world has full of supernatural powers imbued upon the humans, right?" Death asked.

"Yeah...More and more people have taken up alchemy, swordplay, and adventuring. Somehow, as years go by, more and more people became fascinated by it and eventually seemed to unleash their innate supernatural powers." Chris explained.

"Our world eventually comes into peace as we share those elements. Diplomacy became easily negotiable as residents become happier through adventuring and, heartless assholes, and natural disasters caused by heartless supernatural creatures aside, residents lived in peace for most of the time." Lifebane followed as the trio travelled back over the spiky pits after getting a Skeleton Key.

"Well, that's something..." Death mused.

"I admit...I couldn't do things all by myself, and thanks to Alito, I'm able to do things without losing myself." Chris simpered, just as Death opened a skeleton lock just a level above.

After minutes of slicing their way through the basement's scarabs, skeletons, icicle skeletons, traversing through wooden planks, and wall riding to open several doors, the trio managed to open a large, frigid door that revealed a huge, frozen statue.

The frozen statue held a large, spiky ice mace.

"So...this is it. Argul, the Deposed King..." Chris exhaled deeply.

"Alright...stand aside, Chris and Alito. This is not pretty." Death frowned as he approached the frozen behemoth.

Soon enough, the frozen statue began to shake for a few seconds. Cracks appeared in the ice prison as bits of ice soon fell off.

Suddenly, the frozen juggernaut burst out of the ice prison, roaring in rage and madness. Its white eyes inebriated with madness. It has a muscular body encased in white, transparent ice as a hard, spiky armor, with its back shaping up many icicle spikes.

The monster held a large icicle shield with the emblem of a skeleton with glowing white eyes, and a huge icicle mace with faces in its four sides. Its jaw was big and sharp, and its face was that of pure, twisted madness.

"Argul!" Death frowned as the trio positioned themselves for battle.


	21. The Arbiter's Maze Part One!

_**Chapter 21: The Arbiter's Maze Part One! **_

Argul charged over to the trio and unleashed a massive overhead cleave with his icy mace.

_**Morphology: Argul**_

_**Species: Ice King**_

_**Description: The Deposed King betrayed by the Lord of Bones. Controls the chilling ice of the Abyss that caused his attack to be imbued with said element. Since its weapons are off sub-zero temperatures, it can unleash attacks that will freeze enemies with every touch and has lingering damage. **_

_**Sometimes, he can unleashed an overhead smash that will need several seconds to wrench it out, take this chance to attack with full force. **_

Chris and Death managed to dodge past Argul's attack as Death unleashed three powerful flipsaw as Argul attempted to wrench out its hammer.

Chris delivered a huge uppercut, jumped up the air, and twirled her own body in a cyclone-like manner. The Lifebane rapidly slashed over Argul's flesh and armor like a paper shredder, contributing further to the amount of damage inflicted.

Just as the Deposed King wrenched its mace out, Death summoned three ghouls and the trio managed to flip backwards in time to dodge another overhead swing once more. The ghouls exploded instantly, breaking parts of Argul's thick, icy armor and injuring it heavily.

The giant, unfazed, unleashed a quick overhead smash once more but it barely missed Chris and Death. Death unleashed a powerful charged shockwave with his Slice of Death. Chris quickly used the surrounding ice around the room to form a huge, sharp javelin and shot through Argul's chest that had no armor.

The Deposed King roared, raised its mace, slammed it on the ground and started spinning towards Chris and Alito.

"Stay focused!" Death frowned.

Seconds before Argul reached them both Chris and Death dodged its attack sideways. The Deposed King then unleashed another overhead smash, which was stuck once more.

"Argul's vitality is already down to the last thirty-five percent! FULL CHARGE!" Chris shot out as the team clashed their swords upon Argul's body.

The weakened Argul stumbled as he did a quick overhead smash, which Chris managed to block it with its Project Tundra's Magnetic Ride System.

"Take it back!" Chris's eyes glowed as she unleashed a strong burst arcane shockwave towards the Deposed King. Taking the chance, Chris stepped forth and unleashed several flurries of quick slashes, leaping away for Death to make the finishing move.

As soon as Argul picked recovered his stance, Death transformed into the Reaper Form and unleashed several heavy slashes across the Deposed King's chest, causing the King to back down and fell on the floor. Its mace fell to the ground, shattered into a million pieces.

"Well...that happened. You're able to block Argul's ice attacks..." Death asked in amusement.

"Compared to your weapons that are of the Frost element, I am _literally _ice, using liquid Nitrogen upon my bloodstreams to support my cryokinetic control up to Absolute Zero. Does that help?" Chris wondered.

"Well, when you're strong, that's the price to pay." Death replied.

"Alito and I forsook my humanity without knowing the meaning of it, just as you forsook your kind to protect the balance. Yeah...you can say it's a huge price to pay, but we have nothing to lose. So that's net even." Chris sighed.

Chris, Alito, and Death dusted themselves off the ice crystals and approached the dying Deposed King. Argul's eyes strangely became translucent instead of opaque. His irises and pupils were light and dark blue.

"Death...and the two women...thank you. Thank you from releasing me from the madness..." Argul spoke softly in a rasped tone.

"Thane told me that you're not a bad king before your insanity...turns out that it is true after all. Odd, but not tyrannical." Death replied.

"The Bones...must be stopped..." Argul replied.

"We don't follow you, Argul. What happened? Who's the Bones?" Alito wondered.

"He...conspired...against I...Betrayed me...Makes me go mad at the thought of the Four..." Argul spoke.

"Take this..." Argul's chest glowed as ten scrolls shot out from it and levitated close to Chris, Alito, and Death.

"Tell...Arbiter...I sent you...He will fight you...as he thinks you might be intruders...Please..Don't kill him...You will know more there..." Argul spoke.

"The Soul Arbiter's Scroll? What is this, some sort of maze guide?" Death wondered.

"I will use...my last power to send you...there. Please...for the Dead Kingdom. And thank you...once more!" Argul released the last of his powers in a huge flash of white light as Chris, Death, and Alito soon stood outside another castle door.

"Where the heck are we?" Alito frowned.

"Argul told us to seek the Soul Arbiter, for he will tell us who drove the Deposed King mad." Chris frowned.

"What does that got to do with rescuing War?" Alito wondered.

"Maybe it has something to do with the Lord of the Bones." Death frowned.

"What?" Chris and Alito wondered.

"The Bones, get it? The Bones who usurped the Throne, only the Lord of the Bones could do it. It's not so much of rescuing War more so as it's _**rescuing the Balance from a wrong king.**_" Death frowned.

"We will get nowhere if we stay here. Luckily, my scans told me that the scrolls revealed the proper path through the maze itself. Despite the monsters in there, I suspect it would take us no less than thirty minutes provided we co-operate well." Chris briefed.

"Well Argul certainly cuts our load from us." Death frowned.

After leaping planks over planks, plat form over platforms, wall ride after wall ride, and wall climb after wall climb, the trio made it into the Soul Arbiter's Maze's entrance.

Crates and skeletons were scattered throughout the room, there were two candles and a table with a mysterious looking book between the two candles. The book was filled with dirt and cobwebs, has a symbol of a Soul Arbiter - two serpent-like ears and a frowning skeleton.

Opening the book, the book read...

_**The Soul Arbiter's Maze lies ahead; Torture and Treasures lie together as equals.**_

_**There are 10 levels of the maze to search.**_

_**Creatures lie at every turn, be prepared before you enter.**_

_**Stairs are your friend; they lead deeper to the maze's core.**_

_**The Soul Arbiter awaits. Only his defeat will lead you to the truth.**_

_**Warning! Once entered, the only ways out are DEATH or VICTORY!**_

"Ready?" Death asked.

Chris and Alito took a deep breath and nodded. "If Thane needs to find out the truth behind the conspiracy besides releasing Argul from his madness, let's do it!"

The trio soon teleported into the maze via a Portal pool...

_**Level I: Declination**_

Hordes of skeleton troops rose from the ground, hissing away as they charged towards the trio.

"Smash 'em!" Chris shot out.

Within two minutes, the trio managed to decimate the entire skeleton army with smooth scythes move and Death's brilliant lure tactic via ghouls.

Four portals soon glowed.

"Where should we go?" Lifebane wondered.

"North, according to the first scroll." Death replied.

Another swarm of easy skeletons later...

"West." Death replied.

The trio soon reached a staircase spiralling further down into another portal.

"Stairs are your friend...Looks like we're on the right track, let's go!" Death shot out.

_**Level II: Apprehension**_

The room was a mixture of black and green. Candles decorated the room, as skeleton bones were aplenty throughout.

Six skeleton warriors wielding huge broadswords and two skeleton archers wielding fiery bows spawned out from the filthy ground.

Death summoned three ghouls without hesitation, luring the skeletons straight into the trio's trap. Chris, Alito, and Death sliced the skeleton as quickly as possible, only dodging a fiery arrow barely.

"That was anti-climatic..." Chris shrugged.

"When you're that strong, that's the price to pay, I guess. East." Death shrugged.

Upon the next room, three skeletal archers and four prowlers await.

Within seconds, they used the same tactic to defeat the mobs.

"South." Death replied.

Eight bulkier skeleton troops await.

"Screw them up..." Chris and Death blitzed through four skeletons each after the latter summoning three ghouls.

"North." Death pointed out.

As the team walked down the stairs...

_"So this level calls itself Apprehension...and the first level is Declination...Why do I feel that's got to do with the rise and fall of an empire?" Like some sort of puzzle?" _Chris thought.

_**Level III - Opposition**_

When they reached this level, Death summoned three ghouls to his left and proceeded to attack the Liches on the right. The Liches were spectral creatures with tattered clothes and bony, scrawny hands wielding a medium-size hammer.

A Lich, three Undead Stalkers, and bulkier Skeleton Guards with big maces awaits. Not that it would bother Death and co.

With several boomerang throws, flipsaws, and the clones slashing and exploding their way, the trio managed to clear them off.

"West." Death called.

Two Liches awaits, where they summoned three pale looking, broadsword-wielding skeletons each.

Death, being a tactical master, managed to anticipate it and quickly summoned three ghouls once more. The Ghouls attacked the left Lich, while Chris and Death tackled the right Lich, annihilating them.

"East."

Two Lich and a skeleton archer awaits.

Death summoned three ghouls to his left once again and managed to score a skeleton soldier with a powerful Teleport Slash.

The skeleton archer brought forth multiple fire arrows at once, however, when Chris sought to destroy it.

Chris's Project Tundra managed to pinpoint the arrows' location, calculate the arrows' distances, and decide on the fastest way to dodge past the arrows and destroy the archer.

Chris did a slide step, dashed past several arrows with sidesteps, unleashed several icicle towers to block the projectiles, and ploughed her Lifebane into the skeleton's head and did an overhead smash.

"North."

Four skeletal archer and four skeletal warriors with big spiky maces awaited.

Death summoned three ghouls once again and unleashed a powerful Harvestor Revenge - the boomerang scythe attack, before unleashing several teleport slashes throughout the battlefield and tearing their limbs apart. Chris unleashed summoned several big icicle and unleashed barrages of icicle javelins on the remaining skeleton warriors and archers.

"Alright...I have to admit, the amount of enemies are increasing..." Chris frowned.

"Keep it up, then. Good job." Death nodded firmly.

"Thanks." Chris and Lifebane replied.

The trio entered the north portal and reached another spiral of stairs.

"Argul is odd...but it doesn't mean he's bad. Sadly most people think that odd is bad." Chris sighed.

"Really?" Death wondered.

"Despite a peaceful human world, there are people who are stigmatized just because he or she has a huge obsession or weird hobbies. Some haters will outright chase down a certain group of people who loved things that the haters themselves hate." Chris explained.

"That's the way of life, I suppose. No matter how peaceful the world is, there will be groups of people who just love to burn the world around them." Death shrugged.

_**Level IV - Separation**_

Swarms of scarab beetles burrowed out of the ground, with a big scarab like monster.

_**Morphology: Scarab Hulk**_

_**Type: Undead Insect**_

_**Description A mutated and enlarged Scarab. Its wings' covers are made of a hard, mysterious compound that can block attacks completely. The Scarab can flap its wings to distract enemies with its broods, and can jump and unleash a heavy slam.**_

Summoning three ghouls once more, Death quickly whipped out his Redemption pistol and shot the scarabs dead. Chris punched the ground and several icicles erupted from the ground, piercing and tearing the remaining scarabs.

Death and Chris managed to dodge past the Scarab Hulk's stomp as Chris delivered a quick uppercut to keel the abomination. Death quickly sprinted towards the Scarab and delivered several flipsaws, ripping the Scarab apart.

"Small, but those swarms are a handful indeed." Chris huffed.

After entering the East gate, swarms of scarabs and two skeleton warriors awaited their arrival.

Death whipped out his Redemption once again shot down several scarabs. Chris threw the Lifebane like a shield boomerang around Death and the Icy Maiden. Death did the same as their scythe sliced past the tender bodies of the scarabs easily. The skeleton attempted to deliver an overhead smash, but Chris and Death managed to dodge past the skeleton's hammer swing.

"All brawl and no brains..." Death grunted.

Chris and Death's scythe attack froze the skeletons and ripped them apart.

"West." Death nodded.

Two skeleton guards and a Scarab Hulk awaited.

The ghouls made quick work of the guards while Death and Chris sliced the lured Scarab Hulk's underbelly apart.

"North." Death informed.

The same foes appeared which Chris, Lifebane, and Death successfully ripped apart within seconds.

"South." Death shot out.

A spiral staircase presented itself.

"It seems darker and darker as we go down...the arcane magic becomes stronger and stronger too." Chris frowned as her Project Tundra picked up high readings.

"We have to pick up our pace then. We're halfway there." Death frowned.


	22. The Arbiter's Maze Part Two!

_**Chapter 22: The Arbiter's Maze Part Two - Icicle Summoning and The Soul Arbiter!**_

_**Level V - Deception**_

Surprisingly, the trio were not in a room, but were at a confined open space with grey skies and clouds looming over the horizon.

"Oookay...That is not what I have expected." Chris frowned.

A heavily armored Undead with a green aura, skeleton pauldrons, a large sword, and a large skeleton shield spawned out from the ground. The Undead has two horns and its a jagged sword.

_**Morphology: Undead General**_

_**Description: Undead Generals are powerful foes who appear throughout the Kingdom of the Dead. They are equipped with large swords granting them high attack power, and huge shields which enable them to defend themselves from attack. A serious threat when surrounded by other enemies, they can be dangerous when alone too.**_

_**Easiest way to destroy them by attacking from behind as their shield are made of strong, unknown metals that completely block attacks. **_

"The Rider has come!" the General roared.

One Lich and two skeleton archers spawned from the ground.

Death summoned three ghouls once more, luring the General and the Lich while Death rolled towards the archer and killed it, thanks to Harvestor Revenge.

Chris slide behind the gap between the General's legs and unleashed a flurry of slashes, with the ghouls attacking and luring the General in front. Death unleashed a powerful charged shockwave on the General's side, killing it.

The Lich summoned two skeletons, but Death and Chris managed to leap away and allowed the ghouls to lure the Lich and skeletons. The ghouls exploded in the enemies' faces, staggering them while giving Chris and Death an opening to freeze and kill them easily.

"I have to admit, your ghouls make things that are hard, easy." Chris praised.

"I'm the one of masters of necromancy. No one except the rulers of Hell could match up to me." Death boasted.

"Who are the rulers?" Lifebane wondered.

"Samael, Lilith, and Lucifer." Death replied as the team entered the west portal.

"Lucifer and Lilith I know...I mean, Lucifer IS the Devil and Lilith is the bride of Lucifer herself. But Samael? Who's that?" Chris wondered, just as Death summoned the ghouls to fight the three skeletal archers in the next room and head for the Undead General.

"He's the Blood Prince and the second in line to assume the throne of hell, he's one of the most powerful demons as a result. His powers are enough to rival even Lucifer himself, and he has a very cunning personality just like I do." Death frowned as he froze the general using the Harvestor Revenge.

_"The Devil Lucifer is, in all commonsense, powerful. For that Samael to be as powerful as the Devil...that's something." _Chris frowned.

After the team destroyed the enemies easily...

"West." Death said.

Three Liches awaited the team.

Death summoned three ghouls towards the left, rolled on the right towards a Lich and froze it with Harvestor Revenge. Death managed to finish it using a flipsaw attack.

Chris managed to impale one Lich from its back, did an overhead smash, unleashed a powerful uppercut, froze it, and did a baseball smash towards locked gates. The ice prison disintegrated, killing the Lich. The ghouls managed to slash the Lich enough time to kill the latter with a triple mini-explosion.

"Then again...against monsters like these, your ghouls certainly helped." Chris praised.

"I did promise to teach you necromancy, or at least the art of summoning troops. Thing is, you got the gist of it." Death replied as they head towards the North gate.

"I don't follow you." Chris wondered.

"Ice Skeletons, get it?" Death replied.

"My Project Tundra to create ice and construct skeletons, right?" Chris wondered.

"That and using the arcane powers in your Project Tundra's rune that Kako blessed you with, and there you go." Death replied.

"It's not easy, I suppose?" Chris wondered.

"It is difficult for people who are just into arcane magic. But as long as someone is able to master arcane magic and control a certain medium well. For example, I have mastered arcane magic and have a medium, necromancy. You said that you have been in intensive training with Project Tundra during the two years since the Kako's incident, right?" Death spoke as he rips off the head of one Lich with ease and did a Harvestor Revenge in the other.

"Yes, I do." Chris replied.

"Your mastery of ice and arcane magic should allow you to create troops and control them. That, I can teach Alito too." Death nodded as he stepped aside just as the Lich was about to strike Chris.

Alito powered down from Lifebane and shot out after the uppercut to the Lich took effect. "Really?"

Chris managed to launch a huge uppercut and kicked the Lich to the other side of the room.

"Well, you both have earned my respect for your resilience. So I should help you out some, right?" Death replied. "Summon your elements first!"

Chris closed her eyes, twirled her hands, and the rune in her left eye glowed as she summoned two big ice towers. Alito summoned a powerful wind barrier as her rune in her right eyes glowed, signifying Project Ventus's activation.

The Lich summoned its two skeletons to the fray.

"Do whatever you can to visualize a skeleton!" Death shot out.

Chris's Project Tundra and Alito's Project Ventus glowed as they scanned through the Skeleton's vital statistics, body parts, attacks, weak spots, and movements.

Using the data, Chris and Alito used their arcane magic, which they mastered over the two years since the Kako's incident, to manipulate their elements in quickly constructing skeletons.

Chris's ice towers shattered as she weaved her hands in an intricate fashion to bring forth the icicle fragments together into a skeleton!

Alito compressed the air around her, forming a transparent skeletal outline with skeletal features.

Both women are able to use their experienced mastery of their Project Programmes and Arcane magic to create their skeletons before dodging the Lich's skeleton assault.

"Nice..." Alito's eyes widened.

"I have to admit...that's impressive." Chris nodded.

Chris and Alito commanded, "Attack!"

Thanks to the strong arcane magic and elemental attributes of both Chris and Alito, the skeletons they created managed to charge and shattered the Lich's skeleton within several heavy strikes.

"Yes!" Alito gave Chris a high-five.

"It's always nice to learn new stuffs." Chris simpered as they proceeded to destroy the Lich.

"I thought it's going to be hard. Thanks, Pale Rider." Alito replied, thanking Death in the process.

"People only think that summoning troops are for necromancers because it's common for necromancers like me to do summoning. The truth is - summoning is nothing special. People who have mastery over arcane magic and the element that he or she specialises in should have no problem doing that. In fact, our world has many of those; it is just that most of them happen to be necromancers. I met supernatural beings over the years who can summon lightning elementals and fire elementals too, yet people still think that summoning are for necromancers only. I don't know...some terms people used to generalize something..." Death replied.

"Stereotype?" Chris wondered.

"Yeah, that." Death gave a grunt. "That aside, constant usage of summoning and defeating enemies will allow you to gain experience in summoning more of them. Don't say I do not let you know."

_**Five more level down Isolation, Revulsion, Inversion, Benediction, and Ascension...**_

"So...this is it. The Soul Arbiter waits in the next room." Chris exhaled deeply.

"Let's end this maze..." Death frowned.

The trio entered the final area as a light blue undead with heavy armor that has skeleton ornaments and white highlights around its armor and boots. Its left held a skeleton-shaped gauntlet and his right held a large, skeletal blade with a skeleton's jaws for a hilt. Its shoulder pads are two bone dragon's heads.

"A thousand years, the crown has lied. It's true owner cast aside. The kingdom ruled by hate and fear. You will regret coming here..." the Soul Arbiter unleashed a huge overhead smash that Death, Chris, and Alito managed to dodge past.

_**Morphology: Soul Arbiter**_

_**Race: Undead**_

_**Armor: Heavy**_

_**Attack Type: Melee**_

_**Description: According to the brief description of Argul, the Soul Arbiter used to be his most loyal Dead Lord, serving him even after his death. The Soul Arbiter is an extremely powerful Dead Lord. Attacking with powerful blade blows and energy slams. Though powerful and quick, his combo last only seconds and will have to recover afterwards. Attack him after he finishes one of his moves.**_

"Fight first, talk later!" Death commanded.

"Right!" Chris and Alito nodded as they summoned their ice and wind skeletons each.

Death summoned three ghouls and successfully lured the Soul Arbiter to them. Chris, Alito, and Death moved behind and unleashed three powerful projectiles of ice, wind, and charged shockwave towards the Soul Arbiter.

The ice, wind skeletons, and Death's ghouls ran towards the Soul Arbiter and delivered many brutal slashes. Their claws tore through the Undead's flesh at a fast rate, sparing no mercy at their assault.

The explosions they released staggered the Soul Arbiter giving Death an opening.

Death swiftly did a Harvestor Revenge, impaled the Soul Arbiter's armor with his possessed scythe, and threw the Undead to the other side of the battlefield. Chris impaled

The Soul Arbiter quickly recovered and slammed his blade on the floor, summoning several skeleton warriors.

_**Current Condition: Soul Arbiter is now in invulnerability period. Current Weapons are unable to damage him - destroy summoned enemies.**_

Death responded by summoning three ghouls once more to lure the other half of the summoned troops and the Soul Arbiter.

Death rolled over to two skeleton warriors and killed them with Harvestor Revenge. He then swiftly teleported over to another skeleton warrior, impaled the skeleton's chest, and ripped it to shreds.

A skeleton archer shot two arrows at Death, but the Pale Rider evaded towards the side, teleported straight to the skeleton archer, and swiftly tore through his spine. His eyes glowing with glee as he grunted in satisfaction at seeing the bones scattered across his feet. He gave no qualms about it, he enjoyed every minute and second of killing enemies beneath his feet, even if they are easy to slay.

Aside from people he respected, his siblings, or anyone whom he needs for interrogation, he had never had qualms of killing smaller characters to satisfy his brutality, or to get what he wanted.

Chris and Alito kept their distance and unleashed powerful projectiles towards the remaining skeletons on their sides. With their summons and Death's ghouls, they tore through the Arbiter's summons easily.

Enraged, the Undead released a huge burst of energy to knock the trio down, but they managed to stand their ground.

Summoning another three ghouls, Death commanded them to strike the Soul Arbiter and unleashed several-charged shockwave with his Slice of Death, while Alito transformed into Lifebane.

Staggered, the Arbiter did not notice Chris coming behind him. The Icy Maiden slide past the gap beneath the Arbiter's legs, drove her Lifebane down the Soul Arbiter's back armor and with a shout, threw the Undead into a cold, piercing icicle tower. Death's ghoul ran towards the Soul Arbiter and exploded right in his face!

Frustrated by his repeated attempts to land a hit, the Undead summoned another skeleton troop, completely covering himself with a barrier once more.

Chris shattered the icicle tower that she summoned to pierce the Arbiter and used Lifebane to conjure a huge wind, shooting the icicle shards past the skeletons by their head and killing them.

"Talk about a brain-freeze!" Chris simpered.

Death unleashed two more shockwave just as soon as the Arbiter's barrier faded. The Undead roared and slammed his sword once more, summoning an Undead General.

_**Current Condition: Arbiter's frustration has placed him on overdrive. He's able to move even with the barrier on. The Undead general is also able to block any moves head-on with the exception of high-impact moves. Separate them - they moved in pairs.**_

Death summoned three ghouls once more, distracting the Soul Arbiter.

_**"Magnetic Ride Dampeners set at maximum. Maximum Strength - Engaged; Damage absorption and damage increase at the ready. Applying Project Tundra's signature element - Ice."**_

Chris's eyes glowed as she roared and charged towards a blocking Undead General, creating a high impact collision that threw the General off to the other side of the wall.

Chris plunged her Lifebane into the thick armor of the Undead General and, ignoring any pain from the Undead's burning aura, ripped its spine out with a loud crack.

With the Arbiter's barrier gone, Death unleashed another shockwave as he brought out his Possessed Scythes, merged it, and clashed the Arbiter's sword with it.

Death knocked the sword off the Arbiter's hand handily, knocked the Arbiter's jaw with the hilt, unleashed an uppercut, and kicked him brutally in his stomach.

"Enough, Arbiter! We are not here to kill you!" Chris shot out.

The Undead snarled. "Why is it that you are here, besides the Chancellor sending you to kill me?"

"Who the fuck is the Chancellor? Argul sent us here, not the Chancellor or whatsisname!" Chris shot back.

The Soul Arbiter's blue eyes widened as his battle aura died down and Death stood down.

"M...My Lord sends you here?" the Soul Arbiter frowned.

"Yes...and he wants you to read this in the last Arbiter's Maze scroll." Alito sighed as she gave the Undead General the scroll.

_**A few minutes later...**_

Reading the Scroll, the Soul Arbiter fell to his knees and lowered his head down in shame.

"I never knew...Never knew that My Lord would be alive, encased by the prison of ice brought by the betrayer. If that is what my King wants, release from the madness that he had suffered from eons on end...then so be it. I am deeply sorry for the early assault; I thought the Chancellor sent the three of you to erase Me." the Soul Arbiter bowed.

"We're not. But why does Argul sent us here? For what reason he wants us to know about you?" Death asked.

"Argul wants you to know how he's betrayed. You might think that the King is just mad and deserves killing, right?" the Soul Arbiter asked.

The trio nodded.

The Arbiter shook his head. "No...He was driven mad by the Chancellor and the Lord of Bones."

"What?!" Chris and Alito's eyes widened.

"Why didn't the Charred Council know about this?" Death demanded.

"Because no one would believe me. The Lord of Bones made it such that My Lord was driven insane by his power and paranoia, but only I knew the secrets behind how My Lord went insane. It is a simple trick, but it was well enough to push My Lord over the edge. This is why the Chancellor and the Lord of Bones are so determined to destroy me for millennia on end. I have no other choice but to hide in my maze." the Arbiter sighed.

"What was it then?" Death asked.

"My Lord appreciates his Dead Lord's services, which is why he grieved a lot when they were killed one by one as the days as the weeks goes by. When My Lord demanded to know a reason why, the Chancellor and the Lord of Bones convinced him that it was an ominous sign of the Four Horsemen's eventual arrival." the Soul Arbiter explained, took a deep breath, and continued.

"Too consumed by grief at his closest members and Dead Lords dying mysteriously, My Lord eventually became insane and started indulging in odd behaviours. This gave the Lord of Bones an excuse to rebel against the formal Dead King. The Lord of Bones and the Chancellor have a smirk on their face that I just cannot trust, but I cannot find any evidence against them yet. However, a day before the King's fall, I stumbled upon a slightly opened door to the Lord of Bones's room and I discovered that his plan was to kill the Dead Lords one by one, trick My Lord into insanity, and destroy him when the time comes." he explained.

"I assume it's too late by that time?" Death asked.

"Yes...the Lord of Bones found out about my trespassing and he exiled me before I could do anything. Year after year, I attempted to break out of my home and attempted to report the case to Charred Council with the evidence I got but...the Lord of Bones's troops are always at the ready to capture and execute me. They are strong, and I can do none to stop them." the Arbiter sighed.

"To be honest, you're really strong." Chris praised, "So why didn't you..."

The Soul Arbiter shook his head. "I might be strong, but the Lord of Bones is stronger. I've exhausted all my solutions, even trying combating the Lord of Bones once, but he has a charm that helps him neutralize attacks even when he's stationary - I can't get at him. Since Corruption began infecting the Dead Plains, I have retreated home. Corruption is strong, and will consume even the dead."

"How invincible is the Dead King?" Chris wondered.

"During my futile battle with the Lord of Bones, he boasted that he is able to defeat the Four without the Seals behind them." the Arbiter frowned.

Death clenched his fists, anger rippled through his veins into his forehead and his eyes. "So...the Lord of Bones accused the Four of making Argul mad, even when we have nothing to do with the travesty that will potentially hurt the Balance in millennias to come...right?" he hissed.

"Yes." the Soul Arbiter bowed, just in time to be grabbed by the collar by an angry Death.

"Your Lord of Bones threatened the Balance and even accused me, and most importantly, my brothers in doing something that we didn't! Take me to your Lord of Bones!" Death swung the Soul Arbiter to the other side of the portal.

The Soul Arbiter could see the ominous figure looming towards him as the he tried to recover.

"Please, I have no means to get there! But I have enough power to send you to Serpent's Peak, where you can find the Eternal Throne!" the Arbiter pleaded, just as Death nearly silted the Arbiter's throat.

Chris and Alito rushed over to tend to the Arbiter's injuries using ice and wind.

"A wronged king killed by a false king and the latter used this power to convert it into a rule of hate and fear?" Chris asked.

"Yes..." the Soul Arbiter nodded.

Chris crossed her arms. "But we need him to reach the Well of Souls. Ostegoth told us that."

"Screw the Dead King; we will find other ways to get to the Well of Souls without his help!" Death hissed.

"But he's virtually invincible if you never ride the Power of the Seals, remember?" Alito recounted.

"Damn it..." Death sighed.

Chris, Death, and Alito wrapped their brains to see if they find another solution.

Chris, being the calmest of the three, said, "Soul Arbiter, do you notice anything unusual in the Kingdom of the Dead, aside from the Corruption, from your home?"

"Yes. All but three Dead Lords are dead - Basilieus, Phariseer, and Adjudicator. All three were forced to serve the Lord of Bones against his will after the rebellion, but lately they have disobeyed the Lord of Bones for some reason."

Chris racked her brains for a while; while Death was wondering, what the Icy Maiden could be thinking.

Chris's light bulb lit up...prompting a smile on Alito's face, yet a puzzled look from Death.


	23. The Eternal Throne

_**Chapter 23 - The Eternal Throne**_

_**Special co-guest: Draven - The Master of Blades**_

_**Note: Due to Chieri and Nagisa's involvement for the Variety Show 'AK00BINGO!', this chapter's main author will be written by Katagiri Atsuko AKA the formal Acchan the 13**__**th **__**and co-written by Mikako Minamino AKA the formal fifth Minami Minegishi.**_

_**Chapter 25 will resume normal authors' duties. **_

_**Serpent's Peak - Summit - Few days after.**_

After Chris, Death, and Alito scaled through the clock tower where the Deposed King was, the trio reached a huge bell tower with multiple serpent-like heads.

Death grunted as a purple aura surrounded him, transformed into his Reaper Form, and sliced off the metal chains attached on the bell. The bell dropped down the hole, ringing down as it descended.

The ground shook, creating tremors beneath their feet. Death, Chris, and Alito looked up as they saw a colosseum-like structure loomed ahead.

The colosseum-like silhouette became clearer as seconds past, revealing itself the Eternal Throne with two dragons' heads clashing each other as they attempted to drag it to the one who summoned them. Massive, ghastly sails shaped like fins materialised on the head's side.

"Don't lose me." Death grumbled.

"You think we would?" Chris replied.

Alito transformed into Lifebane as Chris attached it to her waist.

Death and Chris sprinted towards the edge of the cliff and took a huge leap down, spreading their limbs apart as they glided towards one of the dragon's scaly heads.

Chris's Project Tundra quickly concentrated its magnetic fillings and Liquid Nitrogen to the dampeners that were mechanically augmented into her legs.

Chris landed at the head on her legs, rolled over for a few times, she quickly got on her feet, and sprinted along with Death riding on Despair.

Death saw a pathway surrounding the Eternal Throne's bottom.

"Now!" the Pale Rider jumped, with Chris following.

Both Death and Chris dug their hands deep and slid down the walls, traversing between the left and right now and then.

The duo finally landed on the wooden pathway that Death spotted just moments earlier.

Chris, Death, and Alito climbed up the pathway and eventually reached the Eternal Throne ten minutes later.

A huge jagged tower with pointy spikes as 'ears' loomed in front of them as lamps hung across the pathway in chains. Wooden planks hung over midair as they made the spikes that decorated the open air like a prison. A sinister looking door resided at the tower itself with a big skeleton insignia - the symbol of the Lord of Bones.

There were four guards standing in throughout the pathway, and at the center of it all, resided a soul with a hood and cloak around its body. He has glowing green eyes and bony jaws. He held many blades and daggers around its waists, and two swords stabbed on his back. He was muscular, but not big enough to lose any sense of agility and finesse that he possessed as he practised his dual-swordplay.

The figure stopped on his feet as he soon noticed the Pale Rider, Chris, and Alito approaching him.

"Huh...Did the Chancellor send you three? Well, Horsemen, and the two women, I've beaten death once. And I can do it again." the figure frowned.

"I've no idea what're you talking about, neither do they." Death shrugged as Chris and Alito nodded along.

The figure grunted. "Of course not, you still reek of hope. You couldn't have met the Chancellor."

"The Chancellor?" Chris wondered.

"He doesn't sound like much." Death asked.

"For years, his words have dripped venom beneath the Lord of Bone's ears. He all but sits upon the Eternal Throne. Demanding...service!" the figure replied.

"You looked very experienced in battle, for one. May we ask for your name?" Chris wondered calmly.

"I am the Master of Blades. And all that remains of a warrior once called Draven from the Kingdom of Man. I should have passed through the Well of Souls, long ago. But I won my freedom in the Arena - only to fall beneath the Dead King's whip." he frowned.

"You survived the Arena, well - parts of you did. Yet you fell to the Dead King's whip?" Death wondered.

"Yes. I fought for life...to return and lead a great army that would conquer all, deliver peace throughout Earth, and to prove that humanity can thrive on their own. But here, I serve. I, Draven, who never bowed to any man. That the Lord of Bones is something less is no comfort." he sighed.

"A person who's doesn't deliver promise don't get my respect either. Besides, the Lord of Bones's time might come to an end." Chris nodded.

"Really?" Draven wondered.

Death, Chris, and Alito nodded.

_**Entrance to the Lord of Bones**_

Chris, Alito, and Death approached the door leading to the Lord of Bones, but two Undead Guards blocked their ways.

"No one seeks the Dead King;s audience without seeking the Chancellor." the left guard frowned.

Death frowned, clenching his fists.

"I don't take orders from guards like you!" Death replied as he nodded to the two women and nodded. Alito transformed into Lifebane once more.

Without warning, both Death and Chris grabbed the guards, knocked their weapons off, and plunged Harvestor and Lifebane into the Guards' belly through their spiritual arcane energies.

"Guards down! Guards down!" the six guards in the lower level screamed as they charged straight into the fray.

Death summoned three ghouls, Chris summoned her ice skeleton, and Alito summoned her wind skeleton.

The guards fought Death's ghouls against their will thanks to the lure magic.

Chris's skeleton slide towards its victim's back, summoned razor-sharp icicle claws, and slashed the Guard with acrobatic moves adopted from Chris's fighting style.

Alito's skeleton threw forth several wind-shaped shurikens imbued with arcane spirit magic and sliced through the Guards' flesh, weakening them altogether. The guards attempted to cleave the wind skeleton but it simply dispersed and appeared behind them, slashing away.

With too much to concentrate, the Dead Guards failed to notice Death freezing his share with Harvestor Revenge, threw his dual Possessed Scythe around his body, and ripping the Guards' spine apart.

Chris punched the ground, summoned several ice spikes around her and froze the guards.

_**"Zandetsu: Ripping Wreckage!"**_

Time soon slowed to a crawl as Chris unleashed a flurry of slashes with her Lifebane, ripped the Guards' flesh through their armor in seconds, and landed on the other side of the field with her back facing the skeleton troops. Clenching her fists, the energy slashed shattered and smashed her frozen victims to pieces.

The battle ended shortly after, with Draven watching behind, nodding softly and chuckling.

_"Both warriors, too, don't take kindly to disrespect too. Their swordplay certainly impressed me beyond my expectations. Maybe what they said might be true..." _

A skeletal figure with a green wiz robe of gradient tones appeared strides behind Chris, Alito, and Death. The skeleton wore a spectral hood, a black scaly armor beneath the robe, two skeleton shoulder pads, and has two bony hands.

His face was a wrinkled skeleton with no eyes, a hole on his nasal area, and a fleshless jaw. The figure's eyes widened as he shook his head.

"No! What in the name of the Dead Kingdom is this mess?" the figure gasped.

"Ah...the Chancellor." Death frowned.

"A Rider, in the Kingdom of the Dead? This can never do! Why are you making a ruckus in the Eternal Throne? Plus, who are these two women beside you?" the Chancellor snarled.

Death placed the Chancellor on scythe point.

"Don't think you can say 'You can't kill that which is already dead.'. I know what every dead people will say. I have killed many undeads on my way throughout the eons, and I can do it again. Now bring me to the Dead King!" Death roared.

"Alito and I have killed many necromancers' undeads during my two years adventure that the Guild had sent me to. So...don't, what people say in Asia about speaking blindly, be like a bull in a china shop." Chris frowned.

The Chancellor's eyes widened at the dead guards around the trio disintegrating into nothingness.

"You must go to the Gilded Arena to seek audience!" the Chancellor snapped back.

Death held his scythe closer to the Chancellor's neck, his possessed scythe growling in hunger for the Chancellor's arcane magic.

"I am not dead yet, and neither dies Chris and Alito, so open up the door!" Death shot back.

The Chancellor gulped.

"I...I...cannot...deny you."

*BANG!*

The slam of the giant door rang the entire Undead Court as the trio marched into it. Two undead guards stood beside an old, ancient throne made of stone. There, the Lord of Bones lay in slumber.

The Lord of Bones was as its name could suggest, made with bones throughout his body and forming a devil-like horn by his right. His shoulder bones had spikes on them.

His waist belt has gold and brown highlights as a flowing, dusty green cloth spread down to his legs.

In the middle of his waist belt was a skeleton symbol. He wore two wrist guards made of rib shaped bones. His wrinkled face laid a scowling look upon his face, even in slumber.

The Lord of Bones stirred for a moment, then opened his eyes as he awoke to see Death, Chris, and Alito standing in front of him. He frowned in disdain as he cracked his neck and his shoulders.

"You stink of the living, Horsemen, of souls long overdue. As for the two women,, what brings you here to my Kingdom when you're not even dead? You are not welcome here, and how dare you kill my guards who are guarding my entrance!" the Dead Lord bellowed.

"Pity, I'm starting to enjoy the atmosphere. Besides, the Gilded Arena is for the dead only. If we're still 'alive' by your standards, and your guards threatened to kill us, it's only natural we kill them." Death frowned.

The Lord of Bones frowned and grumbled. "True...Besides, they are not my concern. My concern is that you are enjoying the atmosphere. If that's what you said, then you have not been here long."

The Lord of Bones waved his right, bony arms as millions of hands reached out to the trio.

"Billions of souls crowd my kingdom, all of Humanity, wailing for vengeance against the ones responsible." the Lord of Bones frowned as he clenched his right fists, sealing the wailing souls back.

_"Those souls...Falling under the Dead King's rule of Fear and Terror...I just hope the Dead Lord could get into the real deal soon." _Chris thought.

"But, I see you are already familiar with such music." the Lord of Bones continued as Death glanced at the amulet fragments on his right chest.

"And you two! Who are you to barge into my kingdom with the Pale Rider?" the Lord of Bones growled.

"We're just here to seek the Well of Souls with Death, O Lord. We are not clowning around." Chris answered politely.

The Lord of Bones frowned and his eyes glowed. He could not read if Chris and Alito were lying. After all, the two women were from other dimension and he was able to read emotions and souls from this dimension only.

"Is it true, Death?" the Lord of Bones replied. The Pale Rider nodded.

"And what do you seek there, power over life and death? Or do you hope for absolution, kin-slayer? I wondered where the souls of your brethren had gone, for they never passed through my realm." the Lord of Bones grunted.

"Your 'realm' hardly needs more subjects. They should deal with the task at hand." Death replied.

"True, yet I must face this rabble without the Lords who serve me!" the Lord of Bones frowned.

"That's not our concern." Death shot back.

"Besides, O Lord, if the Dead Lords served you, shouldn't it be your responsibility to find them?" Alito asked.

"I have way too many responsibilities to hold! If I leave the Court, the souls will haunt me and I had enough of their wailing!" the Lord of Bones bellowed.

"No offence. But what Death said is right. Why should we care about the affairs of the dead when it's your job, right? I guess we should go now...sorry to disturb your slumber." Chris bowed as she took her leave.

"Make it your concern!" the Lord of Bones screeched and the Icy Maiden stopped dead on her track. "And I will grant you your request." he calmly continued.

Chris gave a small smirk, then resumed her calm and collected expression.

"Alright...we'll bite." Chris nodded.

A large green hologram map appeared in front of Death, Chris, and Alito. It has the map of the entire Dead Plains with three dots by the North-west, South-west, and East.

"Find my three Dead Lords, and wake them from their slumber." the Lord of Bones replied as he condensed the green 'map' into a green sphere. "Use this and bend them to your will."

The condensed orb seared itself into Death's right arm and caused an excruciating pain. Death grumbled as he managed to hold the pain handily.

"Return the Lords to me, that they might share my burden." the Lord of Bones smirked.

_**Outside the Undead Court...**_

"What do you know about the Dead King, Chancellor?" Death asked.

The Chancellor, still grumbling after the threatening incident, replied, "His reign is eternal. His word is law. And his time is invaluable. Aside from the three of you kicking up a ruckus in the middle of nowhere, I ensure that he need only speak with those who are worthy." the Chancellor replied.

"You only wished to kill us because you think we can't kill the Arena's Champion, right? No wonder you rarely see him, Chancellor." Death snarled.

The Chancellor grumbled once more in discontent.

"The Lord of Bones ain't the first king to rule the Dead Kingdom, right?" Chris asked.

"There...was another. A creäture called Argul, too mad to be kept upon the throne. I helped my Lord to rid of him, and even destroyed a few of his servants. Tsk, tsk...What would my Lord do without me?" the Chancellor snickered.

"What does Achidna have to with your kingdom? Last I heard, she had one of her own." Death wondered.

"The shadow realm, Ysilik - yes. Where the Sisters Sightless spin their webs. Many of my Lord's foes escaped there, when his rule was still young. We hunted them down. Achidna herself barely escaped. Perhaps she took shelter here, and yet weaves her evil." the Chancellor replied.

_**After Chris, Alito, and Death managed to teleport to the Dead Plains via Waypoint Teleportation...**_

"Alright, what's with finding the three Dead Lords?" Death frowned.

"The Soul Arbiter told us that the Three Dead Lords were once part of the Four Pillars of The Dead protecting Argul. The Arbiter is one the four Pillars and the only one not to succumb to the Lord of Bones's rule. The Arbiter also told us that the Lord of Bones had too much responsibility seeing to the souls since humankind's extinction. If we go and seek the Lord of Bones, he will most likely request us to recover the Dead Lords since he is very busy." Chris explained.

"True, but what does that have to do with our next mission?" Death wondered.

"The Soul Arbiter told us that the Interdiction is what forced the Dead Kingdom under the Lord of Bones's rule, it's also what gives him the ability to destroy the Four Horsemen when they are not under the Seven Seals' power." Chris replied.

"His invincibility." Death frowned.

"Yes. We find the Dead Lords; ask them about the source which powers the Lord of Bones's Interdiction and yala!" Chris snapped her right fingers.

"Why would he give us the source of his powers if there's a possibility that we might kill him?" Death wondered.

"The Dead King has one weakness based on his speech and attitude - Pride." Alito replied.

"Granted. But..." Death scratched his head.

"The criminals' way of life - they always convince themselves that they are the best, so much so that they actually believe their own bullshit." Chris explained.

"The Dead King convinces himself that he will be invincible due to the Interdiction and it will not be destroyed, not knowing that there might be people like us who will make him vulnerable?" Death's eyes lit up.

"Yala!" Chris and Alito nodded.

Death found himself chuckling. _"Well, well, well...The Charred Councils weren't wrong when they said that humans might be weak, but their cunning is essential to the Balance."_

"You're smart, I give you that." Death praised and nodded.

"We're not, Pale Rider." Chris dismissed. "You are smarter than we do, the only reason we are able to figure this out is because the Dead King and the Chancellor are getting sloppy."

"Complacency or greed. It's always one of the two that brings them down. In the Dead King and the Chancellor's case...that makes two." Alito simpered.

"Not so much knowledge as it's the commonsense of all living things, including you and I. Well, that happened..." Death chuckled.

"Now let's stop dilly-dallying and get the Phariseer." Chris simpered as she summoned her Audi Le Mans Quattro.

As Death rode on Despair, the pale Rider began to develop even more respect for the human race in general.

_"Chris...Alito...I don't care if you reckoned yourselves to be no longer human. You still have the human soul that possesses the cunning and ruthlessness towards enemies, and the kindness towards friends and allies, and the determination and honor to get things done - to keep promises without betrayal. Maybe what Eidard said is true - you need time...Not a matter of 'how', but a matter of 'when'..." _


	24. The Dead Lord Phariseer and Adjudicator!

_**Chapter 24 - The Plan I - The Dead Lord Phariseer and Adjudicator!**_

_**Special Guest - Phariseer and Adjudicator**_

_**Katagiri Atsuko and Mikako's PS: We specially travelled to the Kingdom of the Dead back at the Four's dimension for this recount that happened two years ago.**_

_**Dead Plains - The Maw**_

Chris, Alito, and Death reached a huge Big Ben-like tower with huge skeleton-like doors. With the Interdiction, the door slide itself open.

The trio entered the room. A big chandelier hung by the, with two long chains by the chandelier's side. Two ragged pieces of brown clothes hung across the ceilings from side to side and the wall was made of reddish-brown rocks.

Right in front of them laid a lift held by four chains and a small, yet tall crystal.

_**Project Tundra Scans: Scans found that the crystal is capable of moving the lift when hit.**_

Death, Chris, and Alito got on the lift. The Pale Rider hit the crystal and the lift descended.

"So...this is the Phariseer Tomb...wait, where's Death? I swore he's here seconds ago." Chris looked at her side and saw the pale Rider missing.

Alito looked up in the air and widened her eyes. "Um...My Lady...you probably want to look upwards..."

Chris looked upwards and her eyes became squiggly again. Death was high up in mid-air, punching the air itself with his Slice of Death and his dual Possessed Scythes, and unleashing a flipsaw from a high height.

Death gave an amusing look when he saw Chris and Alito's squiggly eyes with a huge bead of sweat on their hair.

"I constantly do this for my warm-up for the mobs at hand. Is there any problems?" Death frowned.

"For a serious warrior, you do have your weirdness...but hey, they're amusing." Chris shook her head.

"Today in 'Physics, What's that?' - the Pale Rider Death shows how badass he is in defying physics!" Alito chuckled.

"I get that's a compliment?" Death approached Chris and frowning.

Silence...

"Of course...Mid-air assault - who wouldn't want to rip off enemies in style in mid-air? I am just surprised that you would be doing that in a lift of all places. But hey...not judging you." Chris simpered while keeping her calm.

"Good." Death frowned.

As soon as the lift stopped at the basement level, the trio set their eyes on several wandering mummies. The monsters' heard the lift's rumbling lift, set their sights on the trio, and trudged forth to attack them.

Death summoned three ghouls, Chris summoned her skeleton, and Alito summoned her wind skeleton. The five summoned troops assaulted the front; Death assaulted the left, while Chris assaulted the right with Lifebane.

The mummies disintegrated soon enough.

"Talk about sweeping the floor." Death grunted.

The trio entered the room saw several Corrupted Crystals on the walls, covering a tall podium.

"Just as the Soul Arbiter said...the Dead Kingdom is corrupted, yet the Lord of Bones ignored it. Something is wrong there." Death frowned.

"Maybe it is an administration conspiracy." Chris concluded.

Chris scanned the door's mechanisms and the button.

"The door's mechanisms will close quickly as soon as someone sets foot off the switch." Chris reported.

"Right...we need to jam the door." Death frowned as he climbed several wooden planks into a platform with a Corrupted Bomb pod.

Death grabbed the Corrupted Bomb and threw it at the crystals covering the podium.

Chris and Death nodded as the former stepped on the switch and with a loud screech, the large gate opened. Death used the soul grip to pull the podium into the ground. The Pale Rider pushed the podium precisely under the gate.

Chris stepped off from the switch and the door descended down soon after, but the podium jarred the gate completely.

A lift with four crystals lay at the next room complete with Roman numerals. Death hit the crystals labelled 'Door II' where the Phariseer's door, with a skull insignia, was. However, the lift suddenly changes to 'Door III' at the second level, where they faced a locked door. No matter how much they tried, it will always bring them to anywhere but 'II'.

"Seems the Phariseer doesn't want to see us; we have to jar the lift somehow." Death frowned.

and the lift soon brought them down to the last level with a door labelled 'IV'. Upon opening the door, a treasure box laid on distances in front of them.

After tearing up the monsters guarding the treasure box with ease, the trio unlocked the door on the second level - the door labelled 'III'.

Climbing pass several wooden planks, descending wooden poles, and wall riding several levels later, the trio managed to reach another metallic podium. A pathway connected the podium a button on the other side.

After Death pulled the podium to the button, a small platform lifted itself up to a height just below the third level - the door labelled 'II'.

"Well...guess we found our solution." Alito shrugged.

Getting back to the lift through climbing and wall riding their way, the three warriors head back to the lift, hit the crystal that said 'II', and the lift descended towards 'IV'. The podium blocked and jarred the lift when it reached the door labelled 'II'.

"The Phariseer...Let's go." Chris frowned.

As they entered the Dead Lord's room, a big, pyramid-like coffin opened. An undead in the same appearance of the Soul Arbiter, except for a light shade of green, and holding a mace, came out of the coffin.

"You would interrupt my slumber? You should have never left your grave." the Phariseer spoke in a cold, haunting voice as he brandished his mace. "Leave, while you still can."

"Do we really have to fight you?" Chris asked.

The Dead Lord charged into the fray. With the trio dodging the linear attack easily.

"We will take that as a yes." Death frowned.

_**Morphology: Phariseer**_

_**Type: Dead Lord**_

_**Description: It has the same attack as the Soul Arbiter, minus the shielding when he reaches certain health. It can summon skeletons using arcane magic when he reaches a certain health.**_

Death unleashed a powerful shockwave from his Slice of Death then closed in for the slash. Chris unleashed a triple slash with Lifebane simultaneously.

The Phariseer grunted as he raised his mace and unleashed an overhead smash, which the duo dodged quickly. Death quickly land a triple slash called Twin Humanities on the Dead Lord, who keeled over.

Angered, the Dead Lord slammed his mace on the ground as skeleton crawled out of the ground.

Death summoned three ghouls to lure the Phariseer and unleashed charged shockwaves on two skeletons before unleashing a Harvestor Revenge on the third skeleton.

Chris summoned ice skeleton and the Lifebane's hilt glowed as she summoned a wind skeleton.

The two skeletons collaborated with Death's ghouls in slashing the Phariseer. Chris drove her Lifebane into one skeleton, ran towards two more skeletons using arcane teleport slash, drove Lifebane into their spines, and smashed them hard on a wall with an overhead smash.

The ghouls exploded upon expiry, damaging the Phariseer further.

Death summoned another group of three ghouls to lure the Dead Lord as he unleashed another powerful shockwave. The ghouls exploded soon after to hurt Phariseer again, only to have the enraged Dead Lord to summon another circle of skeletons.

Summoning another three ghouls once more, Death did several flips backwards before unleashing two shockwaves to two skeletal sword wielders. Another skeleton pounced on Death but the latter rolled forth before the former could land a hit. The Pale Rider instantly turned towards the attacking skeleton and slashed it using Harvestor Revenge.

Chris summoned four towers of ice around her, shattered the ice, formed eight ice javelins and delivered headshots to the remaining three skeletons.

The Phariseer quickly keeled when the ghouls exploded on him. Chris's left eyes glowed intensely as she unleashed a flurry of slashes behind the Phariseer's back.

Angered, the Dead Lord delivered an overhead smash, which Chris blocked with her Lifebane's hilt. The ground that they stood on dented because of the impact of the clash. Chris winced as the Phariseer's green aura slowly burned into the former's mechanical and organic body parts.

Death quickly unleashed another Harvestor Revenge, interrupting the Dead Lord's attack clash while Chris managed to dodge out just in time.

The Phariseer roared as he turned towards the Pale Rider and clashed their weapons together. In the same way he made the Arbiter keeled, Death hit Phariseer's head and slashed across his chest, bringing the Dead Lord to his knees.

Chris and Death held Phariseer by knifepoint and threatened, "Do you yield?"

Phariseer relented. "Yes."

Both Death and Chris stood down, with Lifebane transforming back to Alito.

"To think we have to knock you back to your senses. The Dead King might sent us to take you, but we want to rescue you from the Dead King's rule." Chris replied, huffing.

"What?" Phariseer wondered.

After Death, Chris, and Alito explained to Phariseer about their plans.

"You have the Interdiction...That means I could break free from the Dead King's will and reunite with my twin brother." the Phariseer replied.

"Wait, what? The Soul Arbiter is your twin brother?" Death's eyes widened.

"Yes, Horseman. He is the only Dead Lord among the Four Pillars of Argul that has not succumbed to the Dead King's Interdiction as he escaped in time." the Phariseer nodded. "Besides that...I thank you three for releasing our Real King from his madness. It is sorrowful, yes...but after so many eons have passed, I felt that's a blessing for him."

"Right...we will bend you in to the Interdiction then. We need your help to escape this place." Chris nodded.

"Your wish is my command." the Dead Lord bowed.

"Wait...I thought we can teleport our way out using the WaypointTM system?" Death wondered.

"The teleport signal won't work in dungeons, which are enclosed areas." Chris explained.

"Damnation..." Death cursed.

As they successfully escaped out of Phariseer's Tomb and travelled to the Adjudicator's palace at the North-West according to the Interdiction...

"It was chaos...We never knew that the Lord of Bones was secretly planning the attack all along until it's too late. All we know is that he usurped Argul's Throne, and bound us to his will as the new Dead Lords with his Interdiction. The Lord of Bones blocked our memories of how the event took place, though, to prevent any evidence from leaking out. He thought that will make people dismiss it as groundless accusations." Phariseer sighed.

"Well, your twin brother has the slip of paper depicting the event that happened. It's taken from one of the Chancellor's old diary book on the day of the Arbiter's exile." Chris explained.

"Thank goodness. I really thank the three of you from sparing my brother for once. Even you, Pale Rider." the Dead Lord thanked.

"Trust me; your brother is the least of my worries. For the Chancellor and the Dead King to accuse me and my siblings for being responsible for the ominous death of Argul's Dead Lords..." Death crushed a skeleton he got on his hand and hissed, "Believe me you...they are not getting away..."

"The Dead King will still be invincible even when the Interdiction is at your hand. As long as the artifact is anywhere, the Dead King will be exceedingly powerful. The only thing is, he needs it to summon and command us; without it, he could not call us not track us." the Dead Lord replied.

"Good. We will have to take two more Dead Lords, and then we will discuss about our next plan. Since the Interdiction is not at the Lord of Bones's hands, anything we say will remain confidential, alright?" Alito replied.

"Of course..." the Phariseer bowed.

_**Adjudicator's Palace**_

"Same' ol...same 'ol...With a touch of silver, that is." Death grunted.

"Every building in the Dead Plains is nearly the same, save for certain colour schemes as the Phariseer said back then." Chris replied.

Upon entering the Palace, a bald Dead Lord rose from a bench created by rocks. He was a baldhead with sharp teeth, a snarling look, two pointy ears, and a skeleton armor that was less armored than the Phariseer's.

"So the Pale Rider and two more humans dare to enter my palace..." Adjudicator growled.

"Human? I do not know what you mean...Adjudicator. Alito and I were 'dead', as far as being human is concerned, without knowing what humanity is...My name is Chris." she bowed.

"I see...Even then, that does not explain why you are here. I do not care about your origins, for I only hear the pleas of the dead, not the damned.

"What about the pleas of your Dead King?" Death wondered.

"I do...though he will reward me with eternal torment. I have no other choice, as I'm bound to his will." Adjudicator sighed.

"There's a chance for freedom, you know that?" Death replied.

The Adjudicator raised his eyebrows. "Are you so certain?"

Death summoned the Phariseer, who then explained their plans together with the trio.

The Adjudicator lowered his head, and slowly, but gradually, broke into a deep chuckle.

"So...the Dead King is getting sloppy, huh? I know that one day he will be. Ever since the day Corruption arrives and tear our kingdom apart, I know that it is a matter of time before someone will step up and rebel against the Lord of Bones just like how he did to the formal Dead King. The Lord of Bones refused to see into the matter, and we have no choice but to escape because we cannot go against him. Fortunately, his burden allowed us to flee, but only back to our homes." the Adjudicator replied.

The bald Dead Lord descended down and bowed. "I am yours to command."

"Well, that was easy. I was expecting some sort of fetch quest that fractally pad out all the stuff we might face." Death shrugged in surprise.

"Oh...you mean fetch quests?" Chris wondered.

"You know those?" Death wondered.

"Ah, it's nothing. You know, most of the mission where you will have to get so and so, just to achieve an aim. We call 'em fetch quest - 'bring three of this, three of that, three of everything!', everything is about three, three, and the number three. Some required more than that but...ya know." Chris shrugged.

"You don't mind, right?" Death wondered.

"Not really. Most people posted on the Request Board for something because they might be ill equipped to do so. Besides, it's in the interest of my loved ones' last will that I do so. But seeing them happy to get the things they wanted makes Alito and I feel want to give a gentle smile, but we can't because we thought softening up in front of strangers means being weak. Besides, we do not even know why we feel that way. Tis' just me, though." Chris sighed and shrugged.

"I see..." the pale Rider nodded.

"Alright...let's get the last one, Basilieus..." Alito nodded.

Then...

"You forgot your station, Nephilim, Chris, and Alito. You might be a Rider, but I am the Lord of the Dead!"

A spectral Dead Lord rose out of a green portal. He has two huge sabres with jagged blade bodies. A knight helmet with two devil-like horns, a bony jaw, and a full clad knight armor with skeleton ornaments decorated around his shoulder pads and waist belts.

It did not take long for the trio to know who the Dead Lord was...

The Trio frowned. _**"Basilieus!"**_

_**Basilieus, the strongest of all Dead Lord, has appeared!**_

_**Without the Seven Seals to ride, how will Death deal with the task?**_

_**Will Death, Chris, and Alito persuaded the Dead Lord?**_

_**Will they be able to unite the Dead Lords to find out about the Interdiction's power source?**_

_**Or will they be a victim to the endless darkness itself?**_

_**What lies ahead for our heroes?**_

_**Stay tuned in the next Chapter!**_

_**Basilieus - Darkness Renegade!**_


	25. Basileus the Darkness Renegade!

_**Chapter 25: The Plan II - Basileus the Darkness Renegade!**_

_**Special Guest recounting events - Basileus**_

_**Previously on Darksiders II: Frozen Assets**_

_**"You forgot your station, Nephilim, Chris, and Alito. You might be a Rider, Death, but I am the Lord of the Dead!"**_

_**A spectral Dead Lord rose out of a green portal. He has two huge sabres with jagged blade bodies. A knight helmet with two devil-like horns, a bony jaw, and a full clad knight armor with skeleton ornaments decorated around his shoulder pads and waist belts.**_

_**It did not take long for the trio to know who the Dead Lord was...**_

_**The Trio frowned.**_**_"Basilieus!"_**

"And your King demands an audience." Death frowned.

"This realm belongs to Corruption now. None alive can stand against it." Basilieus snarled.

"You...misjudge us..." Chris, Alito, and Death hissed.

"You both are just followers of the Pale Rider, and you, Pale Rider, ride the power of the seals at your back. You would not survive..." Basilieus boasted, but a smack from Death's merged Possessed Scythe silenced him.

"We would not survive? You talk too much!" Death snarled as he pounced on a surprised Basilieus and knock the Dead Lord back several spaces by punching the ground several time with his Slice of Death.

"How dare you defy the Lord of the Dead?!" Basileus growled.

"And how dare you defy that which is the Ender of Life itself?!" Death growled.

"If we have to knock you back like we do Phariseer, we will! Alito!" Chris called out.

"Yes, my Lady!" Alito transformed into Lifebane.

"Time for you to _chill out_!" Chris frowned.

Chris and Death screamed and charged into Basileus as he charged into them too.

Summoning three ghouls, Death lured the Dead Lord into the ghouls. The ghouls screeched as they slashed rapidly at Basilieus's armor and undead flesh. Death unleashed two charged shockwaves for good measure.

Chris launched a kick on Basilieus's face, but the Dead Lord managed to stand his ground and held the Icy Maiden into a deadlock. The Adjudicator's bench disintegrated because of the excess energy given out by the clash.

Basileus smirked, thinking he had it under control, but Death commanded the ghouls to explode, causing the Dead Lord to cut his concentration short. With a shout, Chris concentrated her arcane ice energy into Basilieus's face and sending him flying hard into the entrance door hard.

Death teleported straight to Basileus, grabbed him by the body with the possessed scythe, and threw him towards the other side of the tower filled with spiky arcane icicle towers impaling the Dead Lord's chest!

"Nice job, Chris." Death nodded.

"Am always willing to shut disrespectful people up." Chris nodded.

Basilieus frowned and created a large and powerful portal.

"You have forced my hand!" the Dead Lord snarled as he descended into the portal.

"Get him!" Death shot out.

Both Death and Chris leapt into the portal seconds before the portal close. They landed on a dimly lit area, where only silhouettes of rock appeared, and little light seeped into the area they stood on. There were no clouds up ahead; there was nothing but inky, black darkness.

_**Project Tundra activated - Arcane Military Grade Night Vision Visor Tech: Online.**_

Chris's eyes glowed blue as she took in the enhanced vision; her sight became a clear lime green. Two spectacle lenses soon scrolled down to prevent any sneak attacks into her eyes and glowed, indicating the night vision's activation.

Chris's enhanced cochlear implant and Death's super-enhanced hearing picked up rapid footsteps in front of him.

"Why don't you give up now, Basileus? You know you are matchless against us." Death frowned.

"I hoped a champion would arise who could face Corruption. I got three, instead. You have come far, Horseman and the two followers. A pity, your journey ends here!" Basileus taunted as he held his dual blades in a cross.

"DUCK!" Chris shot out.

Both Death and the Icy Maiden flipped away from Basileus's air slash and unleashed shockwaves from their weapons.

_**Morphology: Basileus**_

_**Type: Dead Lord**_

_**Handedness: Ambidextrous**_

_**Armor: Heavy**_

_**Description: The Last of the Dead Lords and formal Pillars of the Four before taken by the Lord of Bones against his will. Capable of using dual-swords to unleash a powerful air slash. Despite wielding two swords, his attack speed are only average, but compensate it with powerful arcane magic. His attacks consist of only melee attacks; use ranged attacks for quicker defeat.**_

Death quickly rolled over to Basileus and unleashed a Harvestor Revenge. The Dead Lord to flinch as Death's scythe tore through the former's flesh and armor.

_"What? He has arcane weapons that matched up to my calibre...This is not in my calculations!" _Basileus frowned.

Basileus was so engrossed with getting a good aim to overcome Death's constant dodging that he failed to notice Chris appearing behind Basileus, slashed across the Dead Lord's back, and shred him several times with Lifebane's Boomerang Shredder.

Enraged, Basileus's eyes glowed as he turned and attempted an overhead smash with his right blade at Chris.

The Icy Maiden managed to block the blade, and her Project Tundra quickly anticipated the sweeping slash from Basileus's left blade. Chris quickly jumped and kicked the left blade and a huge burst of energy blast through as they separated from the deadlock, damaging both parties.

_**Quattro Sentinel EX Cardiovertor Defibrillator activation - Regeneration process accelerated.**_

_**Project Tundra Magnetic Ride Dampeners activated: Reflexes enhanced; Damage reduction into limbs.**_

Death managed to land a free shot on Basileus, causing him to keel.

The Dead Lord roared and pushed Death and Chris away with a powerful green shockwave.

Basileus boasted as a huge silhouette of a scaly spider appeared above him, "You cannot stand against me!"

A giant spider with big, spiky jaws landed behind the Dead Lord. The Spider had no eyes, and many small sharp teethes. It has eight brown, bony legs with rock-like skins. Its thorax and abdomen had several layers of scaly skins and shadows imbued upon it.

_**Morphology: Achidna**_

_**Type: Former Queen of the Spider Kingdom**_

_**Size: Giant**_

_**Description: A powerful spider from Ysilik, the Shadow Realm. Her attacks consist of a very powerful lightning attack that she can unleash on the ground through her strong legs thanks to the electrical glands on her abdomen. She then can charged along the ground with her lightning imbued legs. Melee attacks are not recommended in this mode. **_

Basileus commanded the big spider Queen to unleash a powerful electrical field, with Chris unfortunately caught in the attack's radius.

"GAAAARRRRRGGGH!" Chris screamed in pain as a strong surge of lightning struck her body and Lifebane.

"Chris! Alito!" Death shot out.

"Hahahaha! What did I warn you? Your journey might as well end here!" the Dead Lord Basileus taunted, but his celebration was short-lived when he saw that Chris was smirking!

"Do you really believe I am done? TAKE IT BACK!"

The Icy Maiden spread her arms as a burst of ice soon erupted from the ground, interrupting Achidna's attack!

The Icy Maiden dusted her armor off, huffed, and cracked her neck.

"Yeah, betcha didn't know that I possessed abilities where I can find out about your attacks through body scanning. And I bet you didn't know I have a electromagnetically conductive elements - Magnetic filings - in my armor that can dissipate electrical and magnetic damage. I can take no damage from neural overload. My skin might be charred...I will take that over system shutdowns any day!" Chris smirked.

Basileus was so enraged that he failed to notice the pale Rider delivering Harvestor Revenge to make the Spider Queen keel. The Pale Rider grabbed the Dead Lord by his neck and threw him down the cold, hard floor. Achidna roared as she soon retreated into the shadows, preparing to strike again.

Basileus got on his feet quickly and delivered a quick cross slash towards the Pale Rider. The latter unleashed a shockwave towards Basileus after dodging his attack with a back flip.

Desperate as his eyes frowned in worry; the Dead Lord pointed his right blade towards Chris and Lifebane. "Flatten them down!"

The Spider Queen descended from the ceiling and slammed hard on the ground, unleashing a huge electrical surge across the floor.

Chris managed to resist the electrical surge and quickly used Lifebane to climb up the Spider Queen's head via her legs and jaws. The Icy Maiden rapidly hammered Achidna's head with her icicle-enhanced fists, sending the Spider Queen into a pained frenzy.

"Death! Get her if you want to prove to Thane!" Chris called out.

Death summoned his ghouls, lured the Dead Lord into them, jumped on top of the Spider's head, and sliced off the Spider's head with his Possessed Scythe.

Following Death's Ghoul Explosion on Basileus, Chris slashed Basileus across his chest.

The Icy Maiden unleashed a flurry slashes, rolling slashes, cleaves, overhead smash, and cross slashes across Basileus's armor, blending brawl, power, and grace together in her attacks. Chris then impaled Lifebane through the Dead Lord's chest and in one fell swoop, sent the Dead Lord flying over to the Pale Rider.

Death responded by an uppercut attack, jumped on level with Basileus, and unleashed a powerful flipsaw attack that sent the Dead Lord crashing down the floor.

Basileus attempted to recover despite his weakened state but Death transformed into the Reaper Form, grabbed the dead Lord by his neck, and pounded his face off the ground several times with such brutality that crack lines started to form in multiple directions.

The Reaper Form started to strangle Basileus with his big, crushing claws. The Dead Lord began screaming for mercy.

"No! Stop! Enough!" the Dead Lord relented.

Basileus landed on the ground in pain, bowing on one of his knees.

"I will ride with the three of you. Even unto the Lord of Bones; even unto death."

Chris and Alito approached the powered down Death.

"Basileus, right?" Chris replied.

"It is I." the Dead Lord nodded.

"Look, if you aren't hot-headed, we wouldn't have to trash you all the way till kingdom come!" Chris crossed her arms. "I have to admit, you nearly have us during the electrical stomp by Achidna!"

"I don't get you." Basileus wondered.

Death began explaining about the plan to overthrow the Dead King and Argul's last message.

"The Formal Dead King...released from his madness. I thank you three. Do you mean it? Are you really planning on overthrowing the Dead King?" Basileus wondered.

"Yes. As long as we find out the source that powers the Lord of Bones's Interdiction, we're golden." Chris nodded.

Basileus lowered his head and clenched his fists. "For years on end...I have been serving the Lord of Bones for years against my will. I knew, just like the Soul Arbiter, that the Lord of Bones and the Chancellor is responsible for a Kingdom ruled by Hate and Fear. Alas, there's nothing I can do about it due to his Interdiction. You have our support..." Basileus bowed to the trio.

"Yeah, we would not be able to get your support unless you tell us about the source that powered the Interdiction." Death frowned as he summoned Phariseer and Adjudicator.

"We are close to the Dead Lord against our will, of course we will know about the source. It lies within six unholy beasts of absolute filth, called the Bloodless." Basileus frowned.

"The Bloodless?" Chris wondered.

"Yes. Creatures of indescribable filth. Created by the Dead King, they served as the source of power for his Interdiction." Basileus nodded.

"If you knew about it, why don't you kill it?" Death wondered.

"By the time we knew it, we are serving the Dead King against his will. He warned us that if he ever knew that we killed even one Bloodless through our link with the Interdiction, he would be able to kill us with his executioner magic before we could even kill the next one." Adjudicator replied.

"As for the Bloodless' weaknesses, those we do not know. The Bloodless have scattered throughout the realms to who knows wherever since Corruption struck in the Kingdom of the Dead, not that the Lord of Bones cared anyway. The further they went without any harm, the better for the Dead King, or so he reckons. Phariseer replied.

"So you three do not know about the Bloodless' weaknesses, yet the Dead King warns his closest servants about killing them. Talk about paranoia..." Alito shook her head.

"If we kill the Bloodless, the Lord of Bones will not know as we're not linked with him. But if you three kill even a single Bloodless, the Lord of Bones will find you and kill you, right?" Death asked.

The Three Dead Lords nodded.

"Okay, brief summary. So the Bloodless powered the Interdiction, which in turn gave the Dead King power to overcome the Four without the Seven Seals and the ability to bring the Kingdom under his iron fists. As long as the Interdiction exists, the Dead King will still be invincible and has command over the Dead Army, except the Three Dead Lords, even when given to someone. That is, unless that someone else destroys the Bloodless, right?" Chris summarized.

The Three Dead Lord nodded once again.

"Good, so we know that the Bloodless powers the Interdiction. But we need its specific places and weaknesses...someone besides the Dead Lords that are forcefully close to him." Death grunted, deep in thought.

"The Chancellor is out of the question because he will rat in on us." Alito followed.

Death's eyes lit up. "Draven, he's 'close' to the Dead Lord due to his ability to conquer the Gilded Arena. He might be able to help us."

_**Draven - Eternal Throne**_

"Ah...The Bloodless. Yes, I knew 'em. Nightmares of claw and bone that cannot be slain by common steel. They are the ones to power the Interdiction." Draven nodded.

"How'd you come to know about them?" Death wondered.

"When I was forced under the Dead King's whip, I guard the Bloodless Cave right under the Undead Court before Corruption separate them apart. I could have killed them, yes, but I was warned that the Dead King would kill me if so much as one Bloodless were killed. I usually do not care about that, but I wanted to bide my time for my ideal revenge and so I obeyed back then. By the time I have devised a thing to 'see' and kill them, Corruption happened. The Bloodless were gone.

"A way to see and kill them?" Chris frowned.

"Bloodless are vulnerable to things of the spirit." Draven nodded.

"Like kills like - is that it?" Death snickered.

"And Poison with Poison." Chris followed.

"Yes. And as the Dead King is quite fond of his Bloodless - kill all six of them, if you dare." Draven chuckled.

"If you have guarded their dens before, you should be able to study them well. How are these Bloodless formed?" Death wondered.

"Souls must pass through the City of the Dead before they are reborn in the Well. But some escape their torments to haunt other realms. Thus do the dead walk again. Bloodless are such types. However, I found out that the Bloodless have traces of Corruption in them. Their flesh can be destroyed - but their spirits resist killing." Draven replied.

"The Bloodless were formed before Argul's fall, used to power the Lord of Bone's Interdiction...The Lord of Bone's refusal to hear the pleas of Corruption in recent memories..." Chris's eyes widened. "Does that mean..."

Draven nodded. "Your guess is as good as mine. The Dead King has association with Corruption. Why then, would he ignore the pleas of many who wanted Corruption dead? He said that he is ancient and it would not bother him, but everyone knows that Corruption consumes all and hence its name."

"So somehow the Lord of Bones used arcane sorcery to combine the souls he captured from the Well of Souls with Corruption, forming the Bloodless. Through that, he devised a gadget that will allow him invincibility and the ability to bring all Dead Army under his feet even when passed on to someone else, because the Interdiction belongs to him and him alone." Death concluded.

"Yes." Draven nodded.

"We wished you could have joined us. It is a pity that the Lord of Bones still has control over you, even without the Interdiction by his hands. That and the son of a bitch Chancellor is always on look out for you." Chris huffed.

"Just promise me one thing, that I can have his head or his crown, when the King is overthrown. You can have the Chancellor. One thing's is for certain...the Dead King's paranoia and complacency will bring him to an end, I know it." Draven smirked.

Alito, Chris, Death, and Draven gave off a sinister chuckle that even the Chancellor could not recognize.


	26. Reveal the Conspiracy!

_**Chapter 26: The Plan III - Reveal the Conspiracy!**_

_**Dead Plains**_

"Alright...so the Bloodless Talisman allows us to 'see' the Bloodless's body and enhance our weapons to a degree that is killable. It also allows us to pinpoint the Bloodless' locations as it has the residue liquid that those abominations secreted in the first place. That is clever for Draven to do that." Death frowned.

"Three in the Dead Plains, Three in the Forge Lands..." Chris frowned as she downloaded the map data of the Bloodless' locations on her Satellite Uplink system.

"Let's go then. Time's a wastin." Death nodded.

True to Draven's words, arcane magic is capable of destroying the Bloodless once it could be 'seen' with the Bloodless Talisman. Chris, Alito, and Death shredded two Bloodless Scarab Hulks in the southeast Dead Plains and southwest Dead Plains.

Chris, Alito, and Death later found themselves on a platform in an odd-looking clock tower with devil-like horns and spikes on its side and a horned skeleton door.

On the platform lies a statue of an undead general posing for battle.

"Scans revealed that there's a hole behind the statue, leading to the third Bloodless's hideout." Chris frowned.

"Ready? It might be a short, but dangerous dungeon inside." Death frowned.

"We are no stranger to danger." Alito nodded.

They descended the hole and landed on a ground leading to a dimly lit dungeon with bone spikes on the side walls. It was dark, dank, damp, and murky. Some Corruption Crystals eroded the walls and fed upon its minerals, stopping at nothing to consume what little hardy plat life dared to thrive in this environment.

"Corruption spread even the underground. We must hurry." Chris frowned.

As the trio traversed through the dungeon came to know as Boneriven...

"Death...what are your thoughts on solace?" Chris wondered.

"Me? Solace...huh..." Death mused. "I think it's more on an empty wasteland and doing nothing after my job as a Horseman is over."

"Living on a world that was a wasteland, huh?" Alito wondered.

"True." Death nodded.

"All we want now, though. Is to be at a state of mind where we can find all the questions that plagued us. I'm sure the end of the journey will reveal it, right?" Chris wondered.

"Nothing is certain when we reach the Well, Chris. But I admire your ability to stand up yourself." Death nodded.

"I don't get you." Chris wondered.

"I thought you would become a teary-eyes person who just bitch, moan, and complain about everything wrong. Instead, you kept your promise to Elder Eidard well and stand up for yourself, determined to find the meaning of solace through your actions during the journey. You did not mope around back in your world and made your dimension a better, tyrant-free place. With someone who is your confidante, both of you can be at peace with each other amidst the pain you have endured. I will say this now, Chris and Alito, it's not matter of _how_ you will find solace and the meaning of humanity, it's a matter of _when_." Death frowned, meaning he was serious.

Chris wondered when was _when_, but the Pale Rider patted Chris's left shoulder.

"Don't think about the end first, focus at the task at hand. Sometimes it's better to observe what happened, rather than explain what happened." Death nodded.

Chris and Alito nodded and simpered.

_**End of Boneriven**_

Standing in front of them was a small colosseum with spikes and bones shaping out a big ring. There, a Bloodless Scarab awaited.

"Ready?" Alito said.

"Last one to kill 'em is a rotten bone!" Death taunted.

_**After killing off the Bloodless Stalkers in the Makers Lands - Fjord**_

The last of the Bloodless Stalkers fell, its body dissolved into thin air as many souls escaped the filthy, corrupted body of the Bloodless, finally seeking solace.

"Well...this is it. The Interdiction no longer bounds the Dead Lord or any of the Dead King's brainwashed servants any longer. Only one thing remains." Chris frowned as the trio looked at the Tree of Life looming ahead.

"It's time..." Death frowned.

"Wait, we may need some help from the Makers." Chris asked.

"Why?" Death wondered.

"We cannot discount the Dead King's monsters as big as Oran and the Lost Temple Warden now, would we?" Alito asked.

_**Eternal Court**_

Death, Chris, and Alito returned and as they walked past Draven, they gave a small nod. A smirk came across Draven's face - the time has come.

"Well then...better get ready." Draven started sharpening his dagger and blades.

"I see you have retrieved the Dead Lords, Death, Chris, and Alito...Ohhoho...excellent. The Dead Lord will be so pleased that he could bring the three of you around its finger tips even when I couldn't." the Chancellor returned to his usual, venomous smirk.

_"Oh, you're gonna love it when we rip you to shreds with our bare hands..."_ Chris smirked.

The trio entered the palace, facing the Lord of Bones once more. Death used the Interdiction and summoned the Dead Lords.

"So...my precious servant had returned..." the Lord of Bones frowned.

"What would you have of us, your Excellency?" Basileus greeted.

Without hesitation, the Lord of Bones clenched his fists and his eyes glowed as he shot out, "Suffer!"

An immolating green aura surrounded the three Dead Lords and seared their flesh and soul. The Three Dead Lord screamed in paralyzing agony.

"You pathetic fool, failing to report to duty and serve me, and instead you defy your master? I have no more use of you!" the Lord of Bones snarled.

The three Dead Lords dissipated into thin air, and the Dead Lord smirked, but his celebration was short-lived when Chris, Alito, and Death began chuckling.

"Heheheh...What, do you really believe the Dead Lords that you have destroyed, are really the _real_ Dead Lords?" Chris smirked as she took out her 4D holographic cube projector. "We are just screwing your head, you tyrant!"

The Lord of Bones's eyes widened and froze in terror; he tried to call back the Interdiction but failed to do so.

"The Interdiction...powerless..." the Dead King slammed his fists on his chair.

"You...YOU KILLED THE BLOODLESS?!" the Dead Lord bellowed.

A huge slam echoed the air as the Chancellor sailed through the air and crashed on a ceiling just above the Dead King.

"Well, well, well...It's a pity your time is up." Draven smirked and clapped as he entered the Undead Court.

"You...You knew this all along?" the Dead King exclaimed.

"You have been nothing but a backstabber so pressed with disrupting the Balance, don't you? Do you really think you would have us believe that the Mad King went mad because of the possible arrival of the Four?" Alito smirked.

The Dead King's face was nothing but shock and horror. He had never believed that anyone would have discovered his eon-long secret.

With the Interdiction unbounded, the three Dead Lords and the Soul Arbiter appeared behind Chris, Alito, and Death.

"The Soul Arbiter has told us all about your successful plan in usurping Argul's throne and ruling the Dead Kingdom the way you want - ruling in Hate and Fear! Give it up, Lord of Bones; your rule of tyranny has come to an end!" Death frowned.

The Dead King clenched his fists, defiant. "You do not have any evidence against me!"

"A good liar, are we now? You have been constantly telling yourself that with the Interdiction you would be invincible! If not, why are you crapping in your pants, as if a mother caught her child snatching a cookie from a cookie jar, when you discovered that the Interdiction is unusable?" Chris frowned as she signalled the Soul Arbiter to show an ancient piece of dog-eared paper, written in Enochian - the language of Angels and Demons.

The Dead King's green eyes flared up.

"You...You have been keeping that piece of paper since the day I exiled you? I thought..." the Dead King trembled.

"You thought you have lost it and presumed lost forever? As expected, Lord of Bones, sloppiness due to complacency shall be your downfall!" the Arbiter grunted.

"You lied to your King, drove him insane, combined souls with Corruption to create your invincibility item, usurped the Throne, kept the incident away from the Charred Council, and even have the guts to drag me, the most fearsome of all Four Horsemen, down the water by telling Argul that his servants' death was OUR FAULT?!" Death cracked his bony gauntlets and fingers.

"You...Dead King...are so dead...you hear me? DEAD!" Death roared as transformed into his Reaper Form, grabbed the Dead King's head, slammed him on the wall, threw the Dead Lord like a rag doll, smashed his skull on the ground, dragged him across the ground with absolute ease, and smashed his head on a hard metallic door.

The Dead Lord's skull began to crack. The Reaper Form crushed the Dead King's legs, smashed parts of his backbones, mashed his left shoulder, and the sheer grip shattered his right arm.

Death powered down from his Reaper Form as he stood with an air of ominous intent towards the Lord of Bones. His fist clenched and his neck cracked as he glared intently at the Lord of Bones, who dragged his bony butt back until he could do no more.

"Wow...Death is really pissed." Alito looked in amusement.

"Well, he's called Death for a reason." Chris followed.

Draven smirked and Chris shrugged.

"Would you want to join in, Chris and Alito? You should take some credit too." the swordsman replied.

"We would love to, Draven. But we made a promise with you, haven't we?" Chris simpered.

"It's been some time since I ever had the pleasure of doing so, and meeting an honorable warrior. I swear, if I ever come back to the Kingdom of Man, I will recruit you to fight against the Legions of Hell. You have my word." Draven smiled.

"I guess we can have the Chancellor, then?" Chris replied in amusement.

"Sure! Why not? We all have a part to play in tearing their Dead Kingdom down!" Draven grinned. "Be my guest."

Chris, Alito, Soul Arbiter, Basileus, Adjudicator, and Phariseer approached the injured Chancellor, who had a nervous smile on his face.

"Eheheheh...Perhaps, we can come to an agreement?" the Chancellor trembled, begging for mercy.

"What? Has the loss of Interdiction made you a wuss now?" Chris smirked.

The Chancellor's eyes widened in fear as he said, "What?"

"Millennia after millennia I have been waiting...Oh...My vengeance shall make you regret been born into the Dead Plains in the first place!" the Soul Arbiter cracked his knuckles.

"Brother." Phariseer asked.

"Yes, Phariseer?"

"I'm sorry for the things I have done to you..."

"There's no need for apologies. We get rid of this Judas, and we will be even, yes?" the Arbiter smirked.

"With pleasure." the Phariseer followed, drawing out his mace.

"Nooo!" the Chancellor's deep voice echoed helplessly.

"Guards...GUARDS!" the Dead Lord screamed.

"No one can hear you now, you Judas...every servant that you have bound to the Interdiction has woken up to their senses." Draven replied.

"You usurped the Throne and even let your Kingdom run amok with Chaos and Corruption...I would have taken it in a professional way. But when you accused me, my brother War, Strife, and my sister Fury of things we did not do...you have made it personal!" Death drove his possessed scythe down the Lord of Bones's body and a sharp scream of agony echoed through the court.

"Not so invincible now, are we? Where's your smirk?" Death taunted.

"You will...not find...the Well of Souls...without me...or the Chancellor..." the Lord of Bones coughed green blood.

"Does it look like I give a damn? I will find a way, and I will storm through the White City if it means restoring Humanity once and for all!" with a war cry, Death delivered a sweeping slash across the Lord of Bones's body, leaving a huge, fatal gash upon his weak body.

"Take it away, Draven." Death huffed.

"With pleasure..." Draven rubbed his hands with glee.

_**At the same time...**_

"Let me have a go! I haven't had my share!" Basileus shot out.

"We still have to kill him soon enough, right?" Phariseer shot back.

"Guys, guys..." Alito tried to disperse the arguments, but to no avail.

"DEAD LORDS!" Alito screamed to get their attention.

The two Dead Lords stopped whatever they were doing, and looked at Chris's confidante.

"The Chancellor's been beaten by all of us. Gashed, slashed, sliced, and everything. It's over." Alito huffed.

"Well that was easy...I was expecting a little more challenge from these supposed 'Dead King' and 'Chancellor'." Death huffed as he crossed his arms.

"Well, at least we didn't alarm the entire Dead Plains, and now the entire realm of the Dead is at peace." Chris shrugged.

"Not for long if Corruption isn't rid of." Basileus frowned.

"That's when we come in." Chris spoke.

Suddenly the Undead Court's ceilings began to crumble and the ground shook with merciless force. Cracks began to creep on the walls as chandelier fell from the ceilings and smashed on the floor.

"The Dead King is killed by spiritual weapons, and thus the Undead Court will crumble! Everyone, out!" Draven shot out.

Chris teleported everyone out into the middle of the Dead Plains thanks to the Waypoint teleporter.

However, as they were congratulating themselves on a job well done, Chris saw two green souls rising up into the air and zipping quickly into the southeast. The twin souls dispersed shortly after and suddenly, a huge crackling noise echoed the dusty air.

A huge, dark green monster with two enormous fists made of green crystals rose out from the grounds from afar. It has dark, scaly, reptilian armor and a huge hole of green fire between his shoulder blades. It wore a mask decorated by a rune in the middle, and looked like a giant octopus.

"Woah...Cthulhu much?" Chris wondered.

"No...That's the Dead King's greatest pet...the Wailing Host." Draven frowned.

The Wailing Host screeched as it sliced the clouds with its piercing screams. His punches to the grounds created tremors at the Dead Plains, causing Chris and co. to lose balance. They managed to get back on their feet quickly.

"What? I thought his pet is the Bloodless?" Death replied.

"No. The Wailing Host guards the Well of Souls, regulates, and houses the souls from the City of the Dead." Phariseer explained.

"After the Lord of Bones overtook the Kingdom of the Dead, he had his pet guard the Well to reduce the amount of souls from escaping it. Also a deterrent to prevent intruders from escaping the City of the Dead should anyone get inside, be it by accident or on purpose. He created this pet not from the Interdiction, but from taming it during one of his quest to overthrow Argul." Basileus followed.

"We knew it; everyone at the Kingdom of the Dead knew it from the moment the Lord of Bones ruled the Kingdom with an iron fist. The only problem is we do not know the exact location to the City of the Dead; I have sent the rest of my exiled troops into the City itself to give me info, but they never live to tell the tale." Soul Arbiter frowned.

"Until now." Chris replied.

"Yes. The problem is, we're in the middle of the Dead Plains, and the Wailing Host is all the way south-east...And we haven't set a waypoint on it yet." Death crossed his arms.

Chris called on Alya. "Alya, it's me!"

_"Chris! It's so nice to hear from you again!"_

"How's the item teleportation device and the Four-Dimensional Cube that I gave you before I depart for the Tree of Life?"

_"It's really great! Now I am able work without worrying about where I can place my tools, and I can have tools that I want from some Valus if I am some distance from him!" _

"Good...I might want to request something from you, yes?" Chris simpered.

_"Huh?"_

_**Three minutes later**_

_"Ready, Chris? I'm sending 'em!"_

"Right!"

_"Good luck! Go get the Wailing Host for us!"_

"Wait, how'd you manage to get so much Cube and Item Transportation Devices?" Death wondered.

"Adventurers' Guild Rule #10 - An adventurer always prepares with necessary items by their side. Since the two items are important and I will make allies along the way, you get the idea." Chris replied calmly.

"Mass production, I suppose?" Draven chuckled.

Chris and Alito nodded.

"Cunning...I like it." Death chuckled.

_**Within a minute**_

"So...the time has come for us to return you our favor." the Lost Temple Warden nodded.

"You have helped us, so we will help you. Let's go!" Oran simpered.

Chris, Alito, and Draven rode on Oran while the Four Dead Lords rode on the Lost Temple Warden.

Chris, sitting at Oran's head, could feel a rush of motivation upon her mind.

_"Seeing the Dead Kingdom's rule of tyranny coming to an end...Why do I feel so motivated?" _Chris wondered.

The Icy Maiden looked over and saw Alito looking ahead, simpering along.

"Alito..."

"Yes, my Lady?"

"Are you motivated in bringing peace to the land where the souls resides?" Chris wondered.

"Why wouldn't I? I want them to feel at peace...to be happy. Shouldn't peace and solace motivate us?" Alito gave a small, gentle smile, a gentle smile that Chris could feel warmth.

"And most importantly," said Alito as she held her hands across Chris's gently. "I am fighting to free the tormented souls with you."

_That's right..._

_The souls, they have suffered long enough._

_It's time to let their pain go, and depart into the land of peace._

_A land free of worries and most importantly...solace._

_I want them to be happy, and I want to prevent them from becoming the next me!_

_Besides, I know that no matter how difficult the task will be..._

_I have someone who can share my thoughts, who can make me feel at peace with just a feel words, and mostly actions that we can communicate flawlessly..._

Chris looked at Alito, and both simpered.

_Alito..._


	27. Dead Kingdom freed - Or is it?

_**Chapter 27: Dead Kingdom freed - Or is it?**_

Oran and the Lost Temple's Warden crushed most parts of the City of the Dead and Corrupted Crystals with their feet and arms.

_**City of the Dead**_

"FULL FORCE!" Chris commanded as the Dead Lords brandished their weapons and charged into the fray.

Oran delivered a swift left hook on the Wailing Host's chin. The Cthulu -like abomination roared in pain as it attempted a swift right hook straight towards Oran's face.

"ROOOOOOOAAAAARRRRRR!"

The Lost Temple's Warden unleashed a powerful voice that shook the ground and staggered the Wailing Soul, cutting its attack short.

"C'mon, you Dead King! Come and face me, you scum!" Death snarled as unleashed a powerful Harvestor Revenge straight on the Wailing Host's attempted left punch.

The strong arcane magic of Death's Possessed Scythe sliced past the strong, leathery skin of the abomination. Chris did the same, and unleashed a powerful ice wave that brought a huge gash on the Wailing Host's right knuckles.

The Wailing Host keeled, allowing the Constructs to land in a one-two punch straight towards the abomination's belly hard! Bones and fleshes snapping and tearing apart echoed throughout the dusty skies as the Wailing Host wailed.

"It fits you perfectly; you are a Wailing Host because you wail when you are losing!" Death taunted.

The Wailing Host roared; his rune on his mask glowed as he summoned ten skeletons on each sides.

Draven, Chris, and Lifebane tore through the weak skeletons like thin paper within seconds. The skeletons shattered like crisp glass.

Death summoned three ghouls to lure the skeletons in, leapt out of the fray and towards the left arm. The pale Rider quickly sprinted, jumped in the air, and quickly plunged his possessed scythe into the Wailing Host's Mask.

With a grunt, Death did a suplex and tore the abomination's mask down, revealing a hideous pink face with green eyes and no nose.

"Ewww...you're ugly!" Alito drew a face of disgust.

"Pink is a cute colour...well, not this time!" Chris shrugged.

"Well...I have met uglier beasts than this..." Draven chuckled.

"To be honest, I thought the Host is kinda cool looking at first!" Alito sheepishly chuckled.

The Wailing Host, however, managed to knock the Constructs down by sweeping the battlefield. Oran and the Lost Temple Warden fell down, but the Four Dead Lords, Death, Chris, and Alito managed to jump off the constructs and landed safely.

The Wailing Host summoned many skeletons once more. Death teleported to several skeletons at once and tore them apart.

Chris punched the floor, summoning many ice spikes that surrounded both her and Alito and shattering the skeletons.

Chris shattered the ice spikes and formed many ice blades. Alito unleashed a burst of wind and materializing highly pressurized air blades.

Both women simpered and nodded as they unleashed a blizzard blade storm towards a horde of charging skeletons. Chris and Alito synchronized their dance moves as the ice and wind blades intertwined together side by side, crossed over in a powerful cross slash attack, and ending off with a powerful blizzard drill that devastated the entire horde.

Draven charged into his horde and unleashed powerful streams of sword energies. The energies sliced through the skeletons' rib cage and skulls like silky paper, all while nodding in content upon seeing Chris and Alito's beautiful co-ordination.

_"Their calmness and co-ordination is perfect. It seems that the two years they have claimed while perfecting their swordplay really paid off." _Draven simpered.

The Four Dead Lords charged towards their share, brandishing their weapons and smashing the skeletons' body like a bat shattering the fragile glass.

The Wailing Host summoned two ghoul serpents in an attempt to distract the team, but Oran and the Lost temple Construct managed to grab the ghoul serpents with their big, strong hands. Using the serpents' tails as a batons' handle, the Constructs battered the Wailing Soul and smacked its face.

Death quickly climbed on top of Oran just as the latter delivered a solid right punch towards the Host's face. The Pale Rider sprinted across Oran's right hand, leapt towards the Host's face and unleashed a powerful flipsaw attack. The scythe sliced across the raw flesh of the abomination's face.

"Oran and the Lost Temple Construct, pin the Host's hands down!" Chris and Alito shot out.

The two constructs nodded as they quickly grabbed the Wailing Hosts's hands and pinned them down into the cold, hard ground like a nail upon a wooden plank.

Both Chris and Alito quickly jumped off from the Warden's left hand and nodded to each other.

Alito transformed into Lifebane as Chris unleashed powerful flurries of slashes in mid-air, a strong flipsaw, and a twirled her dual Lifebane with both hands. A huge circle of icicle and wind energy extended the dual Lifebane's attack range, slicing through the tentacles and face with ferocious tenacity.

The Pale Rider assisted Chris's attack by riding upon the Host's head and stabbing the abomination repeatedly with his possessed Scythes.

Death planted his scythe deep in the Wailing Host's forehead, dragged his scythe down, and delivering a huge gash across the abomination's face.

The Wailing Host's eyes glowed green with anger, green flames erupted out of his shoulder blades as it roared and imbued his fists with green fire.

"DEATH, NOW!" Draven shot out.

Knowing the Wailing Host was grievously injured after multiple battering and a gash across its face, Death summoned his Harvestor and pinned the Host's forehead.

Death quickly sprinted towards the Host's face, grabbed the Harvestor, transformed into the Reaper Form, and slashed the abomination several time across its face. Burning anger flowed through Death's glowing Harvestor as each swing left a deep gash upon the Wailing Host's face.

The Wailing Host retreated into his hole, but Death was not about to let sleeping dogs lie.

"GET BACK HERE!" Death angrily powered down and jumped into the hole before anyone could warn him.

The team waited with bated breath as distorted screams from the Wailing Host pierced the dark, cloudy skies. The green mist gradually turned red as blood, vital organs, and tentacles erupted from the hole like a fountain.

_"This is for your accusation towards my brothers!"_

_"This is for your accusation towards me!"_

_"This is for tarnishing the Four's name!"_

_"And this is for you being a complete asshole towards my brothers!"_

"Wow...Death seems to take no crap from people." Alito looked on amusingly.

"He's certainly not someone you can easily mess with. No matter how powerful an enemy is, he will do something just to bring that ass down." Draven nodded.

"He doesn't stand there and wait for something; he doesn't take crap from people." Chris followed.

Death jumped out of the hole, doing a lethal suplex with his scythe, and tore the Host's head off with a deep scream, effectively ending the Dead King, Chancellor, and the Wailing Host's reign over the Dead Kingdom.

"Okay...that happened." Alito's eyes widened.

"Surprised? I have fetched bigger heads than this." Death frowned.

"Who?" Chris wondered.

"Leviathan." the Pale Rider replied.

Death stood up as he dusted of the blood on his body and steadied his breath.

"The Dead Kingdom...is finally free." the Soul Arbiter smiled.

"Eons after eons...I have to agree with you, brother." Phariseer nodded.

"Thanks...Although it's kinda disrespectful of me not to know your full names - a warrior must remember their allies for the help they contributed, eh?" Draven smiled.

"Chris. Chris 'Quattro' Fuschia." the Icy Maiden simpered.

"The name is Alito 'Ventus' Gnade." Chris's confidante bowed and shook Draven's hands along with Chris.

"I have introduced myself before, but my full name is Draven Blade. And thanks for helping me; there couldn't have been a greater honor than for us to work together and tear down the corrupt Dead Kingdom" the Master of Blades grinned.

"As long as you are free from the Dead King's grasp, and as long as the Kingdom isn't ruled by Hate and Fear, all is well." Chris simpered.

Just as the team celebrated their victory of overthrowing the corrupt Chancellor and the Dead King, the Adjudicator shook his head; he was not happy with what happened to the souls.

"There's nothing to celebrate just yet..." Adjudicator frowned.

"Huh?" Chris wondered.

"Since the Wailing Host, the Dead King, and the Chancellor were killed, the souls should have been freed. Yet I can hear their souls still crying deeply in torment; they have further descended into madness..." Adjudicator reported.

The Icy Maiden widened her eyes and then clenched her fists.

"How can this be? There must be something wrong!" Chris frowned.

Death looked around the destroyed City, knowing that someone could explain the entire trouble.

"We need to find someone. We need to find the Crowfather." Death replied.

"But he's dead, isn't he?" Alito wondered.

"He's dead, where better to look? Every soul, except the ancient Makers, will pass through the City of the Dead before channeled into the Well of Souls." Adjudicator replied.

"Why aren't the Makers allowed?" Chris wondered.

"Makers have souls that are far too ancient for the City of the Dead to accept. That is why we have the Makers' Stone and the Constructs. A Maker channeled their life force into a Maker Stone when they reached their end of their lifespan." the Lost Temple's Warden spoke.

Death's eyes squinted when he saw a glowing mass of flame at the far end of the City.

"What is that?" Death asked.

"It is a portal where most spectral souls gather to be channeled into the Well of Souls. That may be where you can call forth the Crowfather's spirit. Only souls were allowed, though." Basileus explained.

"Well, let's go!" Death shot out, eager to know why the souls of Humanity had not been released yet.

Chris, Alito, Draven, the Four Dead Lords, and the two Constructs followed Death as they approached the far end of the City where the flaming gateway resides.

The seven figures upon the Constructs landed on the City's floor and looked around the area for any signs of the Crowfather. Death, too, assisted in the search.

A huge burst of light shone through as the eight figures shielded their eyes with their hands.

A sagely, yet familiar voice rang in Chris, Alito, and Death's ears.

"Horseman...I believed you called."

As the piercing light faded, the eight figures set their sight upon a green, spectral crooked figure wearing a furry scarf, a robe around itself, iron cuffs around his arms, and a long shawl. The figure still had the same wrinkled, white beard face and green eyes that Chris, Alito, and Death recognised.

"Crowfather?" Death asked.

"Crowfather!" Chris and Alito called out and bowed.

"The Keeper of Secrets...what a mysterious title indeed." Draven spoke.

"Draven...the Master of Blades. I suppose you are enjoying your new-found freedom after the Dead Lord is gone for good?" the Crowfather asked.

"Never better, Keeper of Secrets." Draven chuckled.

"The Four Pillars of Argul, finally reunited. It seems as if the City of the Dead King's tyranny has ended." the Crowfather nodded softly as he stroked his beard.

The Dead Lords bowed.

"Ah...so you are the two women who followed Death in his journey to destroy Corruption and save his brother War. I'm sure we have met before in the Icy Veil?" the Crowfather asked.

Chris and Alito nodded.

"Yes...yes...my memory serves me better now; both of you teleported into my portal to the Forge Land before I close it, yes?" the Crowfather simpered.

"Of course, Crowfather. But why aren't you grumbly or angry anymore compared to what happened at the Icy Veil?" Alito wondered.

"The amulet shattered upon my death, allowing me to regain peace once more while untroubled by the Nephilims' screams for revenge. That is not why I am here though. You wanted to seek me because of the Well of Souls, yes?" the Crowfather asked.

The rest nodded.

"The Well of Souls is a place of unimaginable power...the key to life and death, of creation itself. And that is why the Well has a key of its own...one that was divided long ago. The Angels keep one half, and the Demons the other. And never shall the two meet. Unless, Death, you truly mean to save your brother." the Crowfather explained.

"To save War, I would storm the White City." Death frowned.

"Of that, I am more than certain. But there is no need." the Crowfather nodded while stroking the feathers of Dust, Death's pet crow. "The Angels have realms beyond the White City, as the Demons do, beyond their Dark Kingdom. All will be clear you all reach the tree." the Crowfather replied.

Death became frustrated at needing to make another trip to the Tree of Life after travelling to the Dead Kingdom to seek the Well of Souls. Chris, however, remained calm. She knew that the Keeper of Secrets was wise beyond words - where else would he have the moniker?

"We have already done that, Crowfather." Death frowned.

"Nevertheless, you must find the tree again. And go wherever it takes you. Besides...the Well of Souls will be the least of your problems. Absalom lives and he shall pose your greatest threat yet." the Crowfather replied calmly.

"So...he lives? As Corruption, right?" Chris asked.

"Yes. Absalom lives on. His rage and agony spread as Corruption and he will unmake all of Creation to destroy the Balance." the Crowfather nodded.

"I killed Absalom once Crowfather - if I could go back, I would see him spared." Death sighed.

"I doubt he would grant you the same courtesy." the Crowfather shook his head.

"How can we restore Humanity?" Chris asked.

"The Well of Souls is where all life begins - where the souls of the dead are born into their new lives." the Crowfather replied.

"So it is a natural cycle...We killed the beast that haunted this place. We freed the souls of humanity." Death concluded.

Chris and Alito's face lit up - they prevented history from happening to Death. However, the Crowfather shook his head and frowned.

"And in other times that would be enough. But something draws power from the Well, leaving only void where there once was life." he replied.

"We don't get you." Draven frowned.

"Chris, remember what you told Ostegoth about your aim in ridding Corruption, the perpetrator of the dimensional disruption?" Crowfather asked.

"Yes." Chris replied.

"What did Ostegoth replied in return?"

"He said that Death, Alito, and I must reach the Well of Souls. He never changed our destination when it comes to Alito and I...that means..." Chris's eyes widened.

"Yes. The Well is overtaken by Corruption, and I fear all of you have only released the souls into further torment." the Crowfather shook his head.

Chris and Alito's eyes drooped. "After all the crap we have gone through, and still none came to fruit..."

"Then there is no hope...Humanity is lost." Death shook his head.

Chris, however, quickly snapped back into a frown and clenched her fists.

"No! There must be another way to restore the innocent humans back into this world, besides killing Absalom!" Chris stubbornly refused.

"That's right, Chris. Even now Death carries with him the power to restore the Well." Crowfather nodded.

"The Nephilim?" Death wondered.

"If you sacrifice their souls - yes. They alone have the power to undo what was done." the Crowfather agreed.

"But I have to sacrifice the Nephilim - my kin - to restore mankind?" Death asked.

"The Nephilims are dead by your own hands when you killed me and shattered most parts of the amulet. That broken talisman is all that remains. Would you leave them to eternal torment in that cage upon your chest?" the Crowfather asked.

Death frowned. "This is for War. I want to save him."

"Then go as the crow flies, or else your brother is lost!" the Crowfather frowned.

"We'll need to prepare ourselves first. A night's rest should be enough, right?" Chris asked.

"It always pays to be ready." the Crowfather nodded.

Draven and Soul Arbiter approached Death, Chris, and Alito and extended their hands.

"It's been a pleasure to have you helping us to overthrow the Dead Kingdom's tyrannical King; now Argul will be at peace." the Soul Arbiter thanked.

"Without your knowledge of the past, the Dead Lords' knowledge of the Interdiction, and Draven's knowledge of the Bloodless, we will not be able to know that the Kingdom of the Dead is in serious trouble. To free the souls from the tyrannical Lord of Bones is an honor. Now all we need is to kick Corruption's arse." Chris simpered.

"Death, Chris, and Alito, you have freed me from the Dead King's whip and allowed me the chance to have the Dead King's head, there could have been no more comfort than this." Draven bowed.

"As long as I can seek justice against someone who accused me and my siblings for being responsible for something we did not do...that's fine by me." Death grunted.

Chris and Alito nodded and simpered. "All we want to see is a kingdom at peace and no innocent beings getting killed. As long as this happens, we will go through all lengths just to bring justice down!"

"All of Creation, even your brother War, will rest upon you three. Beat down the Corruption, and may the Stonefather be with you!" Oran replied.

The Four Dead Lords kneeled on one knee and bowed.

"We thank you for freeing us from the Dead King's grasp!"

Chris, Death, and Alito looked at one another and nodded.

This time, it was not just War...but the entire Creation and Balance were at stake.

As warriors who would put in their efforts just to see the Balance stabilized, there was no turning back...

However, Chris began to wander about what Death said hours later, just as the team was leaving the Kingdom of the Dead.

_"I killed Absalom once Crowfather - if I could go back, I would see him spared." Death sighed._

_"I doubt he would grant you the same courtesy." the Crowfather shook his head._

Chris shook her head...

_"If there is a way...to go back in time. Then maybe..."_

"Don't." a wise voice echoed behind him.

Chris woke up just to see the Crowfather beside him...

"C...Crowfather...?" the Icy Maiden sighed.


	28. I am, all I am!

_**Interlude - I am...all I am**_

"So...you came to know about my past through Dust, who's your pet crow that you gave to Death centuries ago. When I confessed my past to Death, you managed to hear it via Dust, whom you have a psychic connection with, huh?" Chris said.

The Crowfather nodded.

The Icy Maiden sighed.

"When Death said that he would see Absalom spared, I would turn the clock back, I would see the Fuschias saved." Chris sighed.

"I doubt so too...Although your parents loved you, Chris, I don't think they will forgive you if they see you do that." the Crowfather replied.

"I don't...get you." Chris wondered.

"You promised to reach solace before finding the answers, your parents are happy that you are willing to take charge. Yet you want to go against yourself and go back to your old ways. Will they be pleased? I think not..." the Crowfather chided.

Chris lowered her head, "But I love my parents, and they loved me too...Same goes for Alito."

"Why do you think they love you?" the Crowfather frowned.

Chris took out her necklace that has a picture - a family portrait of thirty members taken the day after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

"Answer truthfully, Chris. There's no use lying..." the wise sage warned.

"Because I make my decision when I do things. I don't let environment affect me. I let my choice influence things instead." Chris took a deep breath.

_**Flashback - Chris Fuschia, Four Years Old**_

"Teehee...Look at that girl, she isn't even a girl at all!"

"Hey Chris, why are you such a spoilsport? There's nothing fun with drawing sand with your sticks! That's lame!"

"You're missing out all the fun, like playing House and Hop-scotch!"

"She's no fun!"

"Don't play with those poor people over here! They will dirty your clothes!"

The rich girls back in the Ingolstadt National Kindergarten snubbed Chris as she was playing with a group of kids wearing ragged cloth.

More specifically, Chris was studying the components of an automobile and having fun with the kids.

Chris clenched her hands but still maintained her calm as she stood up and approached the rich girls. For nearly a year, she had endured it and now she felt that something had to be done.

"Is there a problem as to who I want to play with, and the types of people I can be friends with?" Chris crossed her arms.

"Oooh...Chris over here is getting a little pissy!" one of the five-year old brunette chuckled.

Chris gave a sarcastic chuckle. "Sorry, Priscilla, but if you really think I am going to harp on it, then nope! I'm just gonna see how you're gonna react when I react positively to anyone of your stupid insults!"

Chris then went back to the playgroup mates, who were surprised about why...

"I wanted to get to know more of you, not because I pity you all or because of your statuses as what they called 'peasants'. I want to know you all because I feel happy doing so! I'm not going to turn back just because of some girls thinking they can get high and mighty with me; they aren't worth our time." Chris smiled cutely.

"But you are rich..." one brown hair boy shook his head.

"Aie! I may be rich, but that does not decide whom I should or should not play with, right? If they want to laugh at me, so be it. The decision is mine, and I choose to know more about the world of cars, and get to know more people besides rich ones! I will not turn back!" Chris cheekily smiled as she did a peace sign.

_**Flashback end...**_

"My playgroup respected me even more since. The teacher, who just happened to walk by saw me taking charge of my life, praised me. My parents also praised me because I just do what I love to do, and I never succumb to Peer Pressure just to satisfy people." Chris simpered.

"That's why, Chris. Your parents will be disappointed with you if you ever decided to go back and save them. You may think that is heartless if you refuse, but going back against your values that made you in the first place will serve a bigger pain." the Crowfather replied.

"Then again...I loved them. I don't want to let them down." Chris replied.

"If you love them, then prove to them that you can take charge of your life! You cannot just back down now..." the Crowfather chided.

"Once there was a boy that I have seen with one of my crows. He wanted to achieve a doctorate, and his mother placed in all of her efforts for her son's best education. Eventually the boy reached the final examinations. He was just a step away from achieving doctorate when someone rushed over and told him that his mother was hospitalised for a terminal illness. The mother kept her condition away from his son so that he could safely attend the exam, but was severely disappointed when her son barged in to see her one last time. The mother told her son, 'If you have loved me, you should have not given up now!', and died." the Crowfather frowned.

Chris looked at her own hands and sighed.

"Would you want to give it up halfway, only to see your loved ones' disappointed faces that you would have to live with for the rest of your life?" the Crowfather asked.

"I don't want to disappoint them, that's for sure!" Chris shot back.

"Then do as your heart told you to! Your heart told you to seek solace, so do it! Don't disappoint your parents, or it will turn into your parents' biggest disappointment." Crowfather chided.

Chris closed her eyes, and slowly gave a small simper. "Thanks...Crowfather. Talking to a wise person like you is just like talking to Elder Eidard. I felt so much better...I always felt as if I could speak with people who ain't of the human race because...I just don't want to show the 'me' right now." the Icy Maiden replied.

"Still, it's better to talk it out with anyone, or else it will manifest inside and soon enough, hatred will form. When hatred welled up in you, Corruption will spread, killing you from inside as you lose yourself for who you are. If that's what you become, imagine your loved ones' disappointment and grief." the Crowfather explained.

"Thanks...Crowfather. I'm surprised, though, you have just met me for a few hours. That's not even discounting our brief meeting at the Icy Veil. So..." Chris wondered.

"You are just like Death, only more respectable. You are cold but polite, sarcastic but truthful, brutal yet graceful. You don't take anything with heartless peoples, yet you cared about people whom you are concerned about." the Crowfather chuckled.

He continued, "Although I suspect there's more to it then what you said. Go on, Chris, ask it."

"Since you know about my past through you eavesdropping my past confession to Death...all I want to ask is, is it my fault that the Fuschias died?" Chris wondered.

"You are the one who will answer that question yourself, Chris. For what you are, for what you will become. All I can say is...you must be in a clear state of mind to find out the meaning of humanity. Once you know this, you will know if it is your fault." the Crowfather replied.

"But like what I questioned Elder Eidard, I want your thoughts on it. I don't care if it is the brutal, cold, hard truth!" Chris asked.

The Crowfather nodded.

"I might be from the this dimension, but I am the only one who can read people's past and mind due to my intense mastery of arcane magic; not even Samael and Lucifer can beat me." the Crowfather boasted.

"How?" Chris wondered.

"I am not the Keeper of Secrets for nothing." the Crowfather chuckled as he tapped on Chris's forehead.

After the Crowfather's green aura faded, he nodded softly once more.

"I will say this now. I can only tell you the verdict, because I do not want you to detract from your aim of seeking solace." the Crowfather said.

Chris nodded.

"It is not your fault." the Crowfather frowned.

Chris looked at the crooked yet sagely Old One with a concerned look upon her eyes.

"Don't make it your concern, though. Knowing the meaning of humanity will allow you to realize the answer with more meaning. Finding the answer with like-minded people will help you in the long run, believe me..." the Crowfather frowned.

"And to find humanity, I must not lose track in finding solace..." Chris replied.

"Neither should you be too engrossed with it. The world is all about balance - don't do it just for your parents, do it for you as well; don't lose yourself, for you have someone who can keep you grounded." the Crowfather nodded.

"A..." Chris replied, but was interrupted.

"Don't say it. You know who that person is." the Crowfather nodded.

"Finding solace, finding humanity, knowing if it's my fault...It won't be easy, that's for sure." Chris followed.

"That's for sure; the future is something that even I cannot keep." the Crowfather nodded.

_**Minutes later**_

"If I give up now...I will disappoint my parents, my relatives...everyone. I don't want to disappoint them, not even myself and not even..." Chris looked at Alito, who was sleeping sweetly beside the Icy Maiden.

The crisp, soft wind blew across the Dead Plains as it caressed Alito's hair ever so gently.

The distant cries of souls in torment and for help echoed across the dark, distant skies.

Chris frowned; the Crowfather was right.

The Fuschias loved her because she could stand up for herself, she could make her own decision.

She made her choices, and did not let the environment control her.

Just like Death, she did not wait for things to happen. Rather, she made it happen.

That, and she could tell when she had gone too far with herself; she knew when to seek help from others.

To go back now, to deny what she was initially in the beginning, to deny what she promised herself and her loved ones, would be to lose any sense of honor the family had held over the years.

If there was one thing that Chris could never tolerate...it was dishonor.

She would still be a Lady of Ice nonetheless, but she knew that her parents had died...

Forgiven, unforgiven, whether she could let herself go from the drastic past of hers remained unknown, or whether it was her fault, the Fuschias were gone.

Nothing could change that...

The only way now was forward. A little step back could sometimes help, but not a complete 180, only something that could help move forward but with better efficiency.

The future remains unknown even after seeking solace but regardless of such, it was too late to back off now - might as well get good at finding the meaning then.

Chris looked at her right palm with the symbol of Ice - the Logo for project Tundra - as she saw an afterimage of Kako's smile.

When Chris chose to become a Warrior of Justice, she knew a price had to be paid - her childhood. She made her decision, and she would not turn back now - both Alito and her will seek solace...at all cost.

"I am...WHO I AM..."


	29. Lostlight!

_**Phase IV**_

_**Chapter 29: Lostlight!**_

_**Author: Orine Aida**_

_**Co-author: Yuka Ichijyo**_

_**Illustrator: Mayu Watanabe Type III**_

_**Next Morning - Tree of Death**_

Chris, Death, and Alito met up with the Crowfather near the Tree of Death.

"Not so fast, you three." the Crowfather shook his head.

"So you will be following us, right?" Chris asked.

"Yes. I will remain here - at the tree - should you have need of me on your quest." the Crowfather nodded as Death's pet crow flew into the portal on the right.

"Haha...And Dust has a beak for more than corpses, Horseman. Follow him, and you will reach the Key." Crowfather chuckled.

"Follow Dust, find the Key? Can't be that easy, Crowfather." Death doubted.

"You may be right, Death. The future is a secret even I cannot keep." the Crowfather nodded.

"The greatest risk is to do nothing, though. Let's go!" Chris simpered in confidence.

Death gave a small grunt. "You certainly have looked up lately."

"It's thanks to Crowfather - he's really wise for his age." Chris smiled.

Before they leave for whatever the Tree would take them, the Dead Lords and Draven arrived to send their farewells.

"We will probably meet again, somehow?" Draven chuckled.

"Probably. Who knows what might await us." Alito simpered.

The four Dead Lords approached Death, Chris, and Alito and presented to them three arcane-filled orbs.

"Take these as thanks for the help so far. They will prove helpful throughout the journey." Phariseer explained.

"Where are they from?" Chris wondered.

"We found out that the Dead King is able to grant people their hidden potentials by giving them these orbs filled with arcane magic. They will dig deep into your souls and unlock your powers, making your abilities stronger. You will certainly need it, wherever the Tree may take you." the Adjudicator replied.

"Well, we certainly need all the powers we can get." Death nodded.

Chris and Alito nodded softly as they simpered, giving thanks to the Dead Lords by giving them communicators and item transporters.

"Consider this our way of diplomacy, Dead Lords. Take care of the Dead Kingdom; the Balance needs this realm's stability for survival." Chris simpered.

"You have our words." the Four Dead Lords bowed.

After a brief surge of pain coursing through their bodies, Chris, Alito, and Death managed to get back on their feet without fainting, the orb's aura still cooling down after improving their abilities.

"Right...my Project Tundra and Alito's Project Ventus are still adapting to the arcane magic imbued upon us. It should be able to operate soon..." Chris dusted off her sleeves.

"Good luck, Chris, Alito, and Death. Many a journey awaits!" Draven shot out.

The trio nodded as they waved goodbye to the sending off party.

After Chris, Alito, and Death reached the other side of the portal, their eyes widened at the scene presented to them.

There were several spires full of grandeur and towers that stretch to the skies, as the clouds were not ordinary clouds. Instead, they are cloudy white, shielding most bright light from reaching to the towers. The city was still white, but mostly a darker shade of white.

The Crowfather came out of the portal and approached them.

"I don't recognize this place. Where have you taken us?" Death asked.

"This place is called Lostlight. It is an outpost, far beyond the gates of Heaven. And it is here that the angels have hidden the Key to the Well of Souls." the Crowfather explained.

"Why here? Why not the White City?" Death wondered.

"There are some amongst the Angels who would use the Key for their own purpose, so it was hidden here to safeguard it from their schemes. Or so they hoped." the Crowfather replied.

"Speaking about the Key...you said that the Well has power over all life?" Death wondered.

"It does...though I suspect there is more to your question. Go on rider - ask it." the Crowfather encouraged.

"The Four never knew of the Well - why was it kept from us?" Death asked.

"For fear of what you may have done with that knowledge. The Nephilims could not be allowed to ravage Creation any longer. They needed to stay dead." the Crowfather frowned.

"The Well can bring them back, yes?" Death asked.

"And so we get to the root of it, yes, the Well is the font of all life, angel, demon, mankind...even Nephilims. But from their blades they wrought chaos - and from that was born Corruption. You were right to destroy them." the Crowfather replied.

Chris and Alito simpered. Death looked at the crystals embedded upon his chest.

_"Maybe...just maybe...The Nephilims may die by my hands. But they will eventually corrupt everything, and I certainly dread to think what will happen to Creation if this happened." _

As Death, Chris, and Alito began to enter the entrance to Lostlight...

"Why are you simpering when the Crowfather said that I was right to destroy them?" Death wondered.

"It's not your fault, Death. It's their pride...Pride gives way to hatred, and hatred, when given live, forms Corruption." Chris simpered.

"But I killed Absalom." Death answered.

"No, you did not kill Absalom. He merely lives on as Corruption. He thinks that it's a way to make you regret your past actions by infecting the Balance, but in truth it's just his blinded pride given to life. This time, though...we will help you save your brother, and kill the Corruption!" Alito nodded.

Death saw Chris and Alito's determined faces and found himself chuckling.

"I'm not going to lose to you when it comes to killing them!" the Pale Rider snickered.

"Bring. It. On!" Chris nodded, just as several golden white knight armor angels with golden highlights and golden helmets flew over them and landed on the other side.

They had white and golden greaves and gauntlets, two white-energy wings operating on a mechanical flap. They held a spear that has a cannon-like hole at the spear's tip.

"Hellguards?" Death frowned.

"Who's Hellguards?" Alito wondered.

"Warrior servants that served the angels in the White City...They appeared to be Corrupted." Death frowned.

Chris and Alito managed to scan the Hellguards and detected Corruption manifesting in them, just as one of the Hellguards raised up his cannon.

"You will serve us!" the Hellguard screeched and he unleashed a concentrated light bullet out.

Death, Chris, and Alito dodged the attack and frowned.

Just as the team got ready to battle, an uncorrupted muscular Hellguard flew over. He has brown skin, white eyebrows, two large white wings, and a spiral rune upon his bald forehead.

"By Abbadon's eyes, it is you...and two other followers."

The uncorrupted Hellguard quickly swooped down and struck the Corrupted Hellguards.

"No time to explain. To me, quickly." the uncorrupted Hellguard nodded.

The Trio nodded as they summoned their arcane troops to help them lure the Corrupted Hellguards.

The Corrupted Hellguards fell for the lure magic conjured by Death's ghouls.

Chris could feel her processes for Project Tundra to be quicker and more responsive than before as datas, attack tactics, weaknesses and tactical options began streaming in a more organized manner within seconds. She cracked her knuckles and smirked.

The Icy Maiden quickly teleported towards the back of several Corrupted Hellguards distracted by Death's Ghouls, plunged her Lifebane into each Corrupted Hellguard's wings, and quickly tore through their wings one by one with her Project Tundra's quicker processing unit powering her biological augmentations. Blood soon spewed out through the Corrupted Hellguards back as they keeled in extreme pain.

Chris quickly impaled each Hellguards through their abdomen, ripping their bodies apart with extreme ferocity combined with grace.

_"My reflexes...they are growing quicker and stronger than before...That must be the effects of the Orb that the Dead Lord imbued upon me!"_

Death quickly sprinted over to his share, dodged the corrupted energy shots with relative ease, joined his possessed scythes together by its hilt, and threw it as a Harvestor Revenge towards the Corrupted Hellguards and froze them.

The Pale Rider then flipped back to get enough range and unleashed a big and powerful shockwave. The powerful ghouls' explosion coincided with the big shockwave and killed the Corrupted Angels.

Death frowned as he saw a shadow looming under him, quickly joining his possessed scythe as a long spear, impaled the Hellguard's belly, and tore off the Corrupted's spine.

Soon enough, dead bodies of the Corrupted Hellguards scattered across the floor, dissolving to the air.

"Wow...even the White City is Corrupted too." Chris frowned.

"With Corruption spreading even to the Tree of Life and the Makers Realm, I wouldn't be surprised." Death frowned.

_**Minutes later...**_

"Welcome to Lostlight, rider - from one warrior to another. I assume you two must be followers of Death?" the uncorrupted Hellguard bowed.

Chris and Alito introduced themselves and told Nathaniel of their purpose in here.

"Yes we are. Thanks for helping us." Chris and Alito bowed back.

"Gratitude is unnecessary." the Hellguard replied.

"Do I know you?" Death wondered.

"I am Nathaniel. I fought beside you, rider, at the gates of Eden. Would have died, were it not for your blades. But I'm not troubled that you don't recall me. Your thoughts that day were on killing Nephilims." Nathaniel replied.

"You're of the Hellguard." Death replied.

"I was." Nathaniel replied. "But I guard the light now. And the Archon. You'll find both in the Crystal Spire. But something tells me you, along with the two followers, are not here to glory in master's radiance."

"What gave that away?" Death wondered.

"The Four Horsemen side with neither Heaven nor Hell."

"Fair enough. But we're looking for a key." Death nodded.

"I would guess that what you seek is no simple key. For that, you should consult the Archon. He sees much, from the peak of his spire." Nathaniel replied.

"You said 'I was' regarding your status as a Hellguard. Why did you leave the Hellguard? Is it because of Corruption?" Chris wondered.

"Yes. And partly because of Abaddon. He sent me here, to watch over the Crystal Spire - and the Archon. There is much at stake should the Spire fall." Nathaniel spoke calmly.

"This place is called Lostlight...but why?" Alito wondered.

"It is an outpost, for what we left in the White City. Here, we are closer to darkness." Nathaniel said.

"You keep saying about the Archon. I know that they are commanding angels of some sort. But who is this 'Archon' you're talking about?" Death asked.

"Lucien is the Head of the Scriptorium - those angels who record all that he sees, when he peers into the shadow. The Ivory Citadel holds their records, an archive vast beyond thinking." Nathaniel replied.

"Citadel?" Chris wondered.

"Lost beyond the mists. Pray your business never sends you there." the Hellguard hoped.

"Well...we might as well seek the key then." Chris replied.

Death and Alito nodded.

_**Peak of the Crystal Spire**_

After Death, Chris, and Alito slayed many Corrupted Hellguards in their path to the Crystal Spire's peak handily, the trio reached their destination.

The trio shielded the glaring light with their hands as they approached an angelic figure with the same armor as Nathaniel and big wings with gold highlights, except that spiral engravings tattooed upon the golden highlights covered upon his armor, shoulder pads, and gauntlets. He had four big wings.

He wore a robe with golden highlight on his head and had a face covered completely in yellow light; the features of his face could barely be seen. He was peering towards a portal.

"Out of the shadow...and into the light. I see you, Horseman...the things you have done, the lives you have ended. I know why you are here. Besides, ain't the two women followers from the other dimension, following you to rid the Well of Corruption too?" the Archon crossed his arms.

"So you are the Archon." Chris eyes widened slightly, but managed to keep her cool.

"Yes, it is I, Archon Lucien - The Protector of the Crystal Spire, and Guardian of Lostlight." he replied.

"Since you know why we are here," Death frowned, "you will give me the key."

Lucien frowned in return.

"I have guarded the Key for centuries," said the Archon as he stood up, "and it is mine. I will not part with it lightly."

The Archon teleported towards the edge of the Spire, overlooking the horizon, partly covered in darkness.

"Not now." he continued. "Corruption spreads. In our city. In our hearts. Only I remain pure, a beacon against the darkness. I was helpless in pushing it back, and the Citadel became corrupted." the Archon sighed.

"You mean the Key is in the Citadel?" Alito wondered.

"Yes." the Archon nodded.

Death calmly replied, sighed a little, and replied, "We're not all helpless, Archon."

"Yeah, there must be a way out of this mess, and we are going to find whatever it takes to destroy that icky mess." Chris nodded.

The Archon turned to face them. "Hmph. Perhaps not. After the seals were broken, and Hell's legions loosed upon the shattered Earth, many divine relics were lost. One, the Rod of Arafel, could help reverse what has happened here."

"Why didn't you take it then?" Alito wondered.

"I would, if I could. But the gates to the White City are closed to any angel who visits Earth. You three, however, are no angels." the Archon simpered.

Chris, Death, and Alito nodded.

"Not as if we have a choice." Death agreed.

"Acquire the Rod, and I will clear a path into my Citadel. There, you will find the Key to the Well of Souls. As for what you will find on Earth..." said the Archon as he reached walked towards the Portal. "As for what you will find on Earth...After you all face it, even you may curse the name of War."

The Archon, Death, Chris, and Alito took a peak into the Portal as it revealed a smouldered, shattered Earth.

Clouds were dark and gloomy, filled with hate and fear. Rain poured heavily upon the dark and dank streets. Destroyed buildings and roads were overrun by demons. Scattered throughout the cities were destroyed vehicles - buses, cars, motorcycles, Limousines, and even taxis. Earthquake cracks spread across the roads.

"This pool will bring you to Earth. Do not tarry here." the Archon warned.

"We do not know about the Rod's exact location. So you'll tell me, and them, where to find it." Death frowned as Chris and Alito nodded along.

"I have seen much, while staring into the deep, but that I cannot tell you. The Kingdom of Man was swallowed in darkness when the armies of Hell invaded. I have seen only glimpses of the Earth since then, but enough to know that the Rod of Arafel is safe. And our only hope of redemption." the Archon replied.

"The Well can tell everything, including the past of this dimension, right?" Alito wondered.

"Yes." Lucien replied.

"Then who created the Corruption? Who's the one responsible for imbuing his or her dark magic into the Nephilims when they died and reanimate their hatred as Corruption?" Chris asked.

"Then again, I do not know. It was shrouded back in darkness too. But I can tell you that it is a feminine figure, with bat-like wings. She has a sinister gesture, if that's what you want to know." the Archon replied.

"How does this City of Light fall into Corruption besides from the Tree of Life?" Death wondered as he peered into the Ivory Citadel, which was afar and shrouded with darkness.

"It wasn't the City that fell, but those within. It began with just one angel. Weak of will, given to doubts. When the darkness called...he welcomed it in. From him the Corruption spread. It seemed only I could sense it, gathering above our heads." Lucien replied. "Though I warned my brothers of the storm that was to come, they did not listen. Only when the cloud burst, did the City of Light fall. And other realms have fallen since."

"Like a Hikkimori..." Chris sighed.

"A Hikki, what?" Death and the Archon wondered.

"Hikkimori...A degradation term for people or non-adventurers who treat a niche like a drug so much to a point where they stayed at home and do fuck all. Their confidence will be at an all time low. Afraid by people's opinion, they always get controlled by doubts and paranoia...Darkness takes over them...and shit happens." Chris shrugged.

"You seem to understand your world." Lucien praised.

Chris shrugged and sighed. "Just like how your pool can see through all, my abilities allowed Alito and I to travel far and wide. Though my world back is at peace, social problems still occur from time to time. Well, at least no war about politics ain't brewing anymore. But still..."

"You speak of this realm as if it were your own." Death crossed his arms.

"You have the guards, calling this place Lostlight, but it is here that the light is to be found. And I am its source." Lucien replied.

"There's nothing else you can tell us?" Death frowned.

"Not until you find the Rod, Horsemen. Then all will be revealed." Lucien replied.

"Is you pool really the only way to get there?" Alito wondered.

"Yes. You can thank the Horseman's masters for that. To preserve the Balance until the End War, the Charred Council forbade all travel to the Third Kingdom...and destroyed those means that already existed. Even the Tree of Life was burnt, like so much kindling." the Archon replied.

"Yet you have the means to travel to Earth." Death replied.

"Not everyone obeys the Council, Death. That is why they have their Horsemen."

"I guess we have all the info that we need...It's time to head to Earth." Chris called Death just as they stood over the Portal to Earth.

"Right...let's go!" Death nodded.

"Good luck...there is much at stake, should the Spire fall." the Archon frowned.


	30. Earth - Could have been worse

_**Chapter 30: Earth - Could have been worse.**_

_**Special Guests recounting the events: Uriel**_

_**Earth**_

Upon reaching Earth, the trio found themselves in a grey, dilapidated building with a statue and two stairs behind them. Crumbled rocks scattered across the floors like droppings of a bird.

Outside, rains were descending like fallen angels upon the dark skies. Multiple undeads began crawling around the ruined surfaces Earth, rummaging through rubbish bins and cars, screeching towards the despondent skies.

"That's...dark..." Chris's eyes widened.

"A century sure has passed in this devastated Earth..." Death frowned.

"That probably might happen if Corruption took over...and we certainly don't want that to happen" Alito clenched her fists and frowned.

*Caw...*

"Quiet..." Death hushed. "There are more than corpses about."

Chris's Project Tundra scanned through the surroundings, surveying the swarming zombies roaming around a statue when a blast killed a zombie with a headshot.

The Trio looked up the skies and saw a silver and golden armor-clad woman with tanned skin hovering in the skies. She has long silver hair, tanned skin, a rune upon her forehead, and long, golden wings.

"Uriel? What are the Hellguard doing on Earth?" Death frowned.

"Who's she?" Alito wondered.

"The commander of the Hellguards after Abaddon died in the premature Apocalypse. She's a hard head, but can be powerful when the time calls for it." Death frowned.

A group of Hellguards followed Uriel as the female commander raised her blade.

"For Abaddon!" she let out a war cry as the Hellguards cheered and descended upon the living dead.

Lands of the living dead strewn across the battle area as the Hellguards impaled, sliced, diced, and blasted the swarming zombies into smithereens.

However, a huge rock was thrown towards a group of Hellguards. The ground shook and rumbled as a repulsive six-legged abomination came charging to the fray pass several towering walls.

It has a purple skin made of hate and suffering, great big jaws, and skeleton upon its big, muscular feet. Its head consisted of human skull-like growths.

The abomination quickly swept the Hellguard troops apart as Uriel frownedand attempted to fight the beast head on. The commander fought well, but despite her heavy strikes, upon the Suffering, the beast delivered a swift left hook that caught her by surprise.

Uriel was thrown back across a road; blood splattered and stained her armor as she struggled to get up and recovered her blade. The Suffering came charging towards Uriel.

Death looked beside him when he saw that Chris and Alito disappeared. He looked ahead and saw the two maidens charging towards the Abomination, picking up two Salvations Cannons along the way. The Salvation Cannons have four 'petals' on the barrels, blue hammer and brown gun body.

_**Weapon Data: Salvation Cannons**_

_**Description: Salvation fires off concentrated arcane light energies in a rapid-fire. Thanks to the pressurized barrels inside the rifles' bodies, up to 500 bullets per minute can be shot from the barrels before cooling down from overheating. The guns, despite heavy firepower, are easy to operate like a normal rocket launcher.**_

"Damn it..." Death shook his head. "Wait up!"

Chris and Alito calmly shot high concentrations of light energies towards the abomination, who roared and called forth more swarms of zombies. The abomination retreated by jumping across one of the ruined buildings.

"Swarms ahead! Hellguards, to me!" Uriel commanded.

The surviving Hellguards picked themselves up as Chris, Alito, and Death summoned their arcane troops to aid the Hellguards.

Chris and Alito found themselves able to summon three troops each with their respective elemental skins wrapped around the; Ice for Chris's skeleton, and Wind for Alito's wind skeletons.

_**Process Update: Due to the Dead Lord's present - arcane orb - imbued upon your bodies, arcane magic and biological augmentations have been upgraded. Unlocked skills are stored in the 'skills' section for later reference.**_

"That's something..." Chris raised her eyebrows.

The team swarmed through the zombie hordes with relative ease thanks to the immense firepower support of Chris, Alito, and Death.

_**Minutes later**_

"I should have killed you for what your brother did here. But you saved my life. Consider us even. I suppose you two must be followers of Death. But why are you...humans?" Uriel frowned.

Chris and Alito explained their purposes of helping Death rescuing War and saving their world from a dimensional disruption.

"I see...you're from the other dimension...Thanks for saving my life." Uriel bowed.

"Be doing what we can, Uriel." Chris bowed.

"What do you know about the Rod of Arafel, Uriel?" Death wondered.

"A weapon of immense power, brought to Earth by the Archon Hestus to battle the demons on the End War. Its light is strong enough to destroy Corruption and darkness. We could have won against the demons, but Hestus fell by the hands of the Destroyer, and the Rod was shattered. The Destroyer uses its pieces to fuel its army of darkness." Uriel explained.

"What was broken can be reformed. Where are the pieces of the Rod?" Death replied.

"In the hands of the Destroyer. He has summoned creatures from the abyss, and drawn forth his Chosen - things of blasphemy who even now divide this world into their own hellish domains. The Sufferings are one such beast. They feed upon the dead of this world, and twist them into a Swarm of flesh and bone that fight as one mind. It was they who attacked us moments ago." Uriel explained.

Chris and Alito registered the name of the abomination that attacked Uriel earlier in their Project Programmes.

_**Morphology: Suffering**_

_**Type: Zombie**_

_**Main Weapon: Fists**_

_**Armor: Heavy**_

_**Description: Extremely Strong, this abomination is capable of demolishing towers alone with its bare hands. Its roar is capable of controlling the zombies. Its foot is super strong, capable of leaping across large chasms within a single leap, given enough momentum. Its armor is heavy, but easily seared through using the Salvation Gun - the gun used by some Hellguards, and arcane weapons.**_

"One mind - easily sundered." Death boasted.

"I will not risk more Hellguards to recapture the Rod of Arafel." Uriel refused. "But should you wish to undertake this fool's errand - then follow the trail of corpses left by my brethren."

"A fool's errand...well, it would not be my first." Death grunted.

"Neither does us. We faced problems like you too..." Chris sighed.

"It is at southeast of here. Good luck." Uriel nodded.

"You said the Angels were lost in this place...How many?" Alito wondered.

"Too many. But for every dead Angel there is another, kept alive against his will. Their suffering empowers the Destroyer." Uriel shook her head.

Chris looked at the scattered bodies of the Hellguards that died fighting against evil, and clenched her fists after softening up for seconds.

"We will help you." Chris frowned.

"You can? But you are just humans...despite having strong arcane magic." Uriel replied.

"When they can be rescued, do you think we are going to sit down there and do fuck all? Your brothers are trapped, tortured by the Destroyer, there is a chance to be freed, and you just put us down because we are humans?" Chris frowned, a burst of cold aura rushing through their body and froze the rain around them.

Uriel's eyes widened as she felt a chill down upon her spines.

"Believe us, Uriel. We will save your brethren. You have our words!" Chris frowned.

The Hellguard commander sighed. "If you so desire...Although I'm still concerned..."

Chris's aura calmed down. "Trust me...Uriel. I know how you feel. Your brethren destroyed by the disease of the Earth - the Swarm. But at least some of your Hellguards still lived. I have none."

Uriel nodded. "That is blessing enough."

"But why are the Hellguards on Earth? You lost, Uriel, in case you haven't noticed." Death shrugged.

"Where else would we go? All of creation saw what happened here; how the Hellguard marched before the seals were broken. The White City is closed to us. We can never go home." Uriel shook her head.

"No. Someone conspired to have the seals broken." Death frowned.

"What? But the Charred Councils said that..." Uriel uttered in disbelief.

"Do you know about the Makers?" Chris asked.

"Yes. All of us know about the builders of the world." Uriel nodded.

"Elder Eidard told us that the Wardens came into Earth when the Seals were broken. Yet when the Councils checked on the Seals, they were intact. The Wardens remained asleep unless A. The Makers Key activates them, or B. Six of the Seven Seals were broken as Elder Eidard confirmed." Chris frowned.

"You reckoned there's a conspiracy?" Uriel replied.

Alito and Chris nodded.

"It's not might...it's _already_ a conspiracy." Death frowned.

"Still...War is partly responsible for Abaddon's death. The Red Rider must pay for what he has done." Uriel frowned.

"I will see my brother spared." Death grunted.

"So be it..." Uriel concluded.

"The Chosen? Who are they? They sound like high-commanding titles." Alito wondered.

"Of course they are. They are ancient beings, drawn from the heart of the Abyss. The most powerful serve the Destroyer, and rule in his name over flesh and bone. The rest kill everything around them." Uriel explained.

"Immense darkness, huh?" Chris mused.

"It's a wonder you've lasted this long; even the dead march against you." Death spoke in amusement.

"You speak of the Swarm. Of all the creatures that roam the wastes, they most hunger for revenge. Not even death can stop them; what is dead can be replaced again." Uriel frowned.

_**Downloading Uriel's Requested Location of the Rod of Arafel - First Piece...**_

_**Travelling to the southeast while blasting the Swarm handily...**_

"To think this is Earth so hard. Wonder whether my world would still suffer that fate eventually." Chris shook her head.

"Why do you think so?" Death wondered.

"Nothing is worse than having humans going against each other. You know about the Hikkimoris I mentioned? They belong to a group called Otakus - a degenerating terms for geeks or nerd that liked Japanese Animations and stay at home doing fuck all. People hated Otakus because they think that Otakus are filled with perverts, dirty thoughts, sex, and meaningless bullcrap. Those self-proclaimed 'normal' people claimed themselves to be right and the otakus as 'wrong'. Those 'normal' people never even know that there are people who loved animes because of meaningful shit." Chris took a deep breath before continuing.

"I fear that within years, a war will erupt not based on politics, but based on each liking and eventually...destruction once more between people who loved animation, and people who wanted to convince otakus not to watch animation." Chris sighed.

"There's nothing worse than Earth self-destructing themselves from the inside when people simply can't accept one another's opinion and move on. I mean, if they can accept same-sex marriage, which has been a controversial thing in the past, why not start accepting opinions about otakus?" Alito shook her head.

"Are you sure that's going to happen? You're making it sound like it's the end of the world as you know it." Death replied in amusement.

"The Charred Councils said that Humans are weak, but cunning. That is true; god knows what humans are capable of. You might think they cannot do such things...but some people just want to watch the world burn. Who knows, maybe this shattered Earth will be what our world will become if we're not careful enough." Chris frowned.

"Absalom is right to an extent...Deep down inside, humans are all beasts...waiting to destroy the world with whatever ways we can think of. He's saying humans are weak not because they can't survive. He's saying humans are weak because of self-destructive behaviours." Alito admitted.

"But we want to protect the humans still, because we know we can't just simply judge humanity based on the sins of a few. There have been kind souls, and families whom we love to spend times with; those are what Alito and I swore to protect. There have been adventurers too, who helped out newbies all around, and we respect them too." Chris said calmly.

Death nodded softly. He knew many humans and cultures back in this world; after all, he is Death, and he saw things that are exactly what Chris and Alito described.

"Could be worse. This world you are standing now, have been in wars based on politics for many, many years before the Apocalypse happened. There's no peace involved; stocks been plummeting, strikes all around, terrorist attacks all over, scandals in the entertainment industry, divorce rates on the rise, religious crap. Peace? Heh...peace is something only one could hope." the Pale Rider shrugged.

He continued, "I am sure you, Alito, and your trusted group of socialites can improve your already peaceful world by making non-fans and fans of the idol and anime culture work together without bloodshed."

Chris's mind clicked.

_"It could have been worse..."_

Death was right.

Chris's world now was unlike what Death's world had experienced before the apocalypse.

Her world had all the problems gradually solved thanks to the Fuschia's involvement with the governmental affairs aside from automotive affairs.

Even after the Fuschia's death, the government throughout the world carried on the Fuschia's legacy, for they had said 'We have enough bloodshed. Seriously, let peace be our ultimate goal.'

For the next twelve years, they fulfilled their promise. Chris and Alito's involvement during the last two years helped as a catalyst too.

Terrorists were virtually eliminated.

Stocks were finally stable; economy was stable too.

Racial slurs were outdated.

It goes for religious overtones; gone were the extremists.

Same-sex marriages were on the verge of being legalized throughout the entire world.

Did Death's world experience any of these before the Apocalypse?

_None...Zilch...Nada._

_Frankly speaking, Chris's world could have been worse._

_If she, along with the officials, can deal with the global political matters, what was to stop her and Alito from achieving social peace? _

_It was hard for Death to give respect to anyone. _

_For Death to show respect to both Chris and Alito meant one thing...Death believed them._

Chris and Alito found themselves gradually smiling.

"Thanks, Death. You are certainly wise for your age." Chris gave a thumb up. Alito nodded along.

"Of course I should be; I'm eons older than you. You would want to keep this to yourself though." Death grunted in satisfaction.

Chris gave a small chuckle and shook her head. "Always boasting about your abilities...but hey, what can I say? You are Death, the Pale Rider. Where you roam, no one can defeat you."

By then, they had reached a long stretch of road from a town square. A huge screech pierced the dark, silent air as a towering creature with two long legs and two long arms walking in the distance.

The tall creature has corrupted growths across its body and two green eyes. Screeches filled the air once more, as swarms of stingers flew to the trio.

"Ready?" Death frowned as he placed the Salvation Cannon and summoned the three ghouls.

"Blast 'em!" Chris and Alito nodded.


	31. The First Piece and a survivor?

_**Chapter 31: The First Piece and a survivor?**_

_**(Special Guests recounting the events: The Hunter)**_

_**Morphology: The Noss**_

_**Type: Abyssal Creatures**_

_**Description: They are part of The Destroyer's forces. Attacking primarily with stomps and energy blasts but are also capable of summoning Stingers to aid battle. A screech can be emitted to push back foes.**_

_**Recommended setup: Ranged Attack**_

Death's three ghouls managed to lure most stingers. Death took the chance to unleash a powerful shockwave from his Slice of Death Armblades.

Some of the stingers managed to swarm around the trio, which Chris, Alito, and Death managed to get rid of via their guns. The Pale Rider used the Redemption pistol, though.

"Death, get that mob, we will help clear the swarms!" Chris called out.

"Right!" Death frowned as he released another shockwave on the Noss's legs again, and the explosions caused by Death's ghouls bring further damage into the Noss.

Chris and Alito's skeletons burst apart, freezing and slicing the stingers apart with ice and razor-sharp winds.

After clearing off the first wave of stingers, Death summoned three more ghouls, as with Chris and Alito, just as the Noss summoned another wave of stingers.

Death immediately empties his ten bullets in the Redemption pistol, once more as the stingers dropped dead on his feet.

Chris and Alito cleared their sides by utilizing their Multi-Aim feature in their Project Programmes and releasing multiple concentrated light bullets at once, searing the Stingers apart.

The ghouls exploded once more, as Chris and Alito's skeletons froze and sliced through the Noss's legs, forcing the abomination not to move.

Death summoned three more ghouls just as Chris and Alito wiped off another wave of stingers. The Pale Rider unleashed another shockwave into the Noss's legs.

Death whipped out his Redemption pistol and clear off another group of Stingers.

Chris and Alito quickly aimed for the Noss's head and delivered a headshot, killing the Noss and dissolving it into thin air.

As soon as the Noss dissolved into thin air, three Hellguards covered in green blood dropped into the floor, struggling to get up.

"Hellguards that Uriel must have talked about!" Chris shot out.

Death, Chris, and Alito rushed forth to help the weakened Hellguards.

_**Minutes later**_

"Hellguard...Hellguard, are you okay?" Chris called out.

"Uhh...who are you? The followers of the Pale Rider?" the hellguard wondered.

Chris and Alito explained their purpose of coming into this world to defeat Corruption and helping Death.

"Uriel told us to search for you. The Destroyer must have used the three of you to power the Noss inside its body." Chris frowned.

"The commander? Are they alive?" the Hellguard replied anxiously.

Chris, Alito, and Death nodded.

The second Hellguard by Alito's side managed to get up and bowed.

"We thank you for saving us from the Destroyer's tyranny." he replied.

"Wait, what happened?" Death wondered.

"When the Destroyer took over Earth along with his Chosen, we continually fought against the Destroyer. However, we could not defeat him, as much as we try. Before long, we were captured and forcefully served the Destroyer as 'fuel' for his abdominal creations...the Noss." the third Hellguard by Death's side explained.

"That's...disgusting." Chris frowned. "But who are you? I mean your names. You all looked very familiar."

"I am Aba." said the Hellguard beside Chris.

"I am Josef." said the Hellguard beside Death.

"And I am Nadav." said the Hellguards beside Alito.

"The three of you are power source to these abominations, huh?" Death wondered.

"He too...also used this as a core of darkness to power our anguish and pain." Josef picked up a dimly lit staff pieces with a shape of a star.

"The Rod of Arafel!" Chris shot out.

"Yes..." Aba nodded.

"The Destroyer used the Rod of Arafel and infected it with dark magic. The result is three Rod pieces fuelled by darkness to power our anguish and in turn...the Noss." Nadav frowned.

"Good thing we have rescued you three. Now, let's get back to Uriel, she was worried sick about the three of you!" Chris patted Aba's shoulders lightly and nodded softly.

"Right. We shouldn't dally about." Death nodded.

By then, the dark clouds cleared up and small amounts of light seeped in. The dark clouds lightened up, but only to a dark shade of brown.

Red crystals shaped as spikes were spotted rooted in the roads, cars, buildings, and even by the sidewalk as Chris and co. traced their way back to the building where the Portal was.

When they returned, however, they saw Uriel's Hellguards and Uriel herself combating with several zombies and several red horned demons with violet clad armor. They wielded pick axes.

_**Morphology: Pit Sorrow**_

_**Type: Demon**_

_**Description: Though human-size, they are especially tricky to deal with when they are in packs. Their pickaxes have a wide range arc of up to 50 CM. Proceed with caution. **_

"Focus your fire!" Uriel commanded.

"Let's talk to her after we rid those sons of damnation." Chris frowned.

Death summoned three ghouls to lure the demons in.

Chris and Alito fire their Salvation Cannons away; while Aba, Nadav, and Josef picked up the scattered Redemption Cannons they could find on the floor and fired away.

Chris and Alito stand with their backs against each other. They looked at each other, simpered, and nodded.

With their backs facing against each other, they moved as a turntable, shooting down every Swarm zombie and Hell Sorrow along the way.

Death moved in to freeze several Hell Sorrows with Harvestor Revenge, slashed twice, spins his merged Possessed Scythe around him, and unleashed a powerful spectre of his Reaper Form unleashing a spectre Harvestor around him.

As more another batch of Hell Sorrows poured in, Death clapped his hands ones and transformed into a rock statue of his Reaper Form. A green Death and purple Death appeared beside the statue.

"So...that's my new power that the arcane orb unlocked within me, huh?" Death smirked.

"Holy..." Alito's eyes widened.

"Hang on...our skills sub-sections flashing as well!" Chris shot out.

The duo accessed their skills menu and smirked along.

Alito transformed into Lifebane and Chris grabbed the hilt. A huge flare of blue and green energy surrounded the Lifebane's blade bodies.

Chris manipulated the surrounding water vapour, freezing them, and used arcane magic to create a powerful ice clone.

"Ready?" Chris simpered.

"Always!" the Ice Clone winked.

_"Tundra Formulae: Sawing Blitz!"_

The two Chrises threw their scythe around them; Chris's scythe on the outer circle, and the inner circle belonging to the Ice Clone.

The slash radius contracted and expanded like a buzz saw, slashing the Hell Sorrows' flesh into shreds at extreme speeds.

_"Tundra Formulae: Electron Blitz!"_

Chris and the Ice Clone choreographed their dance moves in an overhead and diagonal slash, creating a powerful electron shell formation that shredded any enemies' limbs.

Chris and the Ice Clone halted their hovering Lifebanes on opposing sides and spin it as a powerful buzz saw once more, shooting out icicle shots, freezing the demons' bodies, and shattering them in a powerful Wreckage Slash.

Chris and the Ice Clone nodded and simpered.

Uriel's eyes widened. _"Such power dished by a human with powerful arcane magic and mechanical augmentations...Their world is really advanced!" _

_**Battle Ended**_

"Well done, everyone!" Chris gave a thumb up and simpered.

"I know that they are powering the Destroyer's Force against their will, but I never knew that the Rod of Arafel's parts are powering their anguish in the Noss. Chris, Alito, Death, thank you for rescuing three of the Hellguards." Uriel bowed.

"Uriel, if there's any way to rescue your brothers, your family members, we will. Mark our words." Chris nodded.

"Your abilities are far beyond what I imagined...only one person comes close to mind - Draven." Uriel replied.

"You mean the Master of Blades that we saw in the Dead Kingdom?" You knew him?" Alito wondered.

"Yes. He used to help us, but the infected atmosphere infected him with an incurable disease. His assistance and his time on Earth were far too short. His attacks are brutal, while you combine grace with speed, precision, and elements." Uriel nodded.

"Speaking on Earth...it's good that you are still fighting on. You seemed confident, though." Death wondered.

"It sure is - Human survivors have been reported by my Hellguards." Uriel nodded.

"That seems unlikely. I thought the Humans were extinct?" Death wondered.

"Hang on..." Chris contacted Draven.

_"Yes...Draven speaking."_

"Chris here, Draven. Are you rummaging the ruins of the Lord of Bones?"

_"Of course! What else should I look for in my free times?"_ Draven chuckled.

"I hope you might wanna do a favor for Uriel, Death, Alito, and I?" Chris hoped.

_"Sure! Always am willing to help out an ally in need!"_

"There should be a book that records all the Souls inside the City, right?"

_"Yeah...I think I have got it...right...I'm sure it's around the chair that I have been rummaging...there!"_

Chris quickly rummaged through the human index database that Guild Commander Leona gave her in the beginning of the quest.

"According to the Global Database Human Index of this dimension, the amount of people on the day of the Apocalypse is around seven billion. Are all seven billion people in the Land of the Dead?" Chris called.

_"Hang on...hmm...close; seven short of seven billion." _

"Thanks, Draven! You have been of great help." Chris simpered.

_"No problem, Icy Maiden." _ Draven chuckled.

*BZZT*

"Chris, Death, you know I am sworn to truth." Uriel replied.

"Well...it's too good to be true, although that's great news!" Chris lightened up.

"Chris is right. If some shred of Humanity yet clings to life, I would speak with them. Where were they seen?" Death asked.

"Far beyond this battlefield, Horseman. All I know is that they are near the second Noss. You can find them southwest from here, out of an old abandoned tunnel with two big red horns. Therefore, I suggest you all better hurry. We will hold out for as long as we can." Uriel nodded.

"We will find them." Alito simpered.

"Be wary, though. There are things that lurk beyond these areas that the Hellguard dare not face head on." Uriel nodded.

"What about the final Noss?" Death wondered.

"I do not know. But the Rod has a will of its own. Find the second piece, and it may tell me where the last Noss holding the piece resides." Uriel replied.

"Who are those demons you fought just now?" Death wondered.

"Those demons are Pit Sorrows, summoned by the Demon Lord Belial." Uriel frowned.

"Demon, what? Demon Lord? Hahahaha..." Death laughed sarcastically. "Hell must have been in such a pathetic state to name him a Demon Lord."

"Belial...That name is known as 'Worthless' in Hebrew texts and known, in the Jewish's myth, as a demon. How is he not a demon lord then?" Chris crossed her arms.

"Belial, at least in this world, is real and not a myth. And in this world, his relationship with Hell isn't what you called...pleasant." Death snickered.

"Oh...I get it, even demons have their own enemies, huh? So much for being a Chief of Demons back in the Jewish myths in our world." Chris chuckled.

"Right, let's get a move on then!" Death nodded.

"Aren't we gonna kill Belial, now that you mentioned him?" Alito wondered.

"Who says we aren't?" Death frowned.

"Uriel, rest assured, we will find the human survivors!" Chris clenched her fists in determination.

"Thank you, Chris, for rescuing three of my Hellguards." Uriel simpered.

"Death and Alito deserve credit too. And we're glad that your brothers are alright." Chris simpered wistfully.

_"I have none...at least you have some of your brethren left..."_

_"I know how you feel..."_

The echoing words that Chris said when giving reason in wanting to rescue the tortured Hellguards rang Uriel's mind.

_"What did she meant? What gave her and Alito that sort of power?"_

_**Across the construction site**_

Strands of chains held stones on dark wooden planks. Demolished cars were scattered around like dead flies as multiple red crystals shaped like horns appeared from side to side.

While slaying through the demons with ease with the Salvation Cannons, they encountered a big purple demon with multiple spikes, big jaws, and dark eyes. Its face is half lion and half goat. It was also holding a large, skeleton staff.

_**Morphology: Ravager**_

_**Type: Demon**_

_**Description: They are Demons that specialize in summoning arcane orbs that can explode after a few seconds. Their armor, though tough, can be seared through by a skilled wielder of the Salvation Cannon or ranged weapons. The Demon however, will, recharge after four orbs were unleashed.**_

Summoning three ghouls once more, the Ravager summoned four orbs around them. Chris brought out her Redemption Cannon and shot the Ravager.

Halfway through, though, Chris, Alito and Death could hear a safety catch's click.

"Get ready...someone's watching us..." Chris whispered.

As soon as they heard a bang, Alito transformed into Lifebane, and both Chris and Death did a flip dodge. A yellow bullet seared through the weakened Ravager on its head. The demon dropped dead.

Chris turned around, saw a human sniper on a second storey building, shot out several icicle spears, and pinned the human across a wall.

Chris jumped up the air by summoning an icicle platform with her feet, and took the Hunter by his neck. Chris, Alito, and the Hunter landed down through a jump.

Upon closer look, the Hunter is a middle-aged man with wrinkles on his face. He has short, brown hair, bushy eyebrows and short moustache and beard. He wore a yellow scarf around his neck, a brown jacket, and a light brown overall with pale blue leather jeans. He held a sniper.

"Get it over with then!" the Hunter huffed.

"Peace, Human. It is not yet your time." Death calmly replied.

"Yeah, right. You're no demon, I can tell that much. If you don't want to kill me why chase me across the whole damned city?!" the Hunter wondered.

"We could say no less for you. Why are you shooting our arse, then? Besides, you're shooting at my Lady!" Alito frowned as she grabbed the Hunter by his scarf, gritting her teeth.

"I am suppose to shoot the demons, than you people have to block my way out of the blue. i apologize, seriously!" the Hunter shook his head.

"Alito...don't." Chris shook her head.

Chris's confidante released her grip, stood down and huffed.

"I thought your kind was no more. But Angels told me that there are some of you left." Death replied.

"Who...or what are you three?" the Hunter wondered.

"I am Death"

"I am Chris."

"And I am Alito..." Chris's confidante bowed.

"Both of you are humans, right?" the Hunter asked the icy Maiden and her confidante.

"We were...Although it would be wise for you to respect my secrecy. All I can tell you is that we are from the other dimension, and we are following Death to destroy an ancient evil." Chris frowned.

"Death is the one thing that has eluded me. Why, after all this, do you come for me now?" the Hunter wondered.

The Hunter heard a clink as he looked up, and his eyes widened.

"The Warmaster!" the Hunter gasped.

Chris, Death, and Alito looked at the demon with two large, crooked horns. It has a big, brown and muscular body, large skull shoulder pad and a scaly pauldron that has skeleton ornaments, just like Death's pauldron. The demon was also wielding a big axe.

_**Name: Warmaster**_

_**Type: Demon General**_

_**Description: Their armor is extremely heavy and durable. Their attacks, though light, can compensate through attack speed and shockwaves that can throw people back. Its legs are extremely strong and jump across long distance, unleashing a big dark shockwave around him. Its axe cleave can unleash quick shockwaves that can home in on people for three times before straightening out, use this to your advantage.**_

_**Battle Tactics: Use speed to your advantage to dodge attacks. Salvation Cannons are recommended, though Death's Slice of Death's shockwave is recommended too. Quick melee attacks recommended provided distraction is implemented.**_

Chris, Death, and Alito nodded.

The Warmaster instantly leapt towards the trio, but they are able to anticipate its movement and rolled away from the stomp.

Death summoned three ghouls and lured the Warmaster. The Pale Rider quickly moved to the side and unleashed a powerful Harvestor Revenge.

Chris and Alito's Salvation Cannons piled upon the distracted Warmaster. The demon moved forward and swung three times, but Death quickly flipped backwards after unleashing the Harvestor Revenge, barely avoiding damage.

Frustrated by the strong blows it suffered, the Warmaster roared and a huge burst of demonic energy surrounded its body. Its body size increase and grew taller. Blood veins bulged upon its arms and legs. Its horns grew more crooked and longer.

_**Warmaster is now enraged; all stats will increase. Their movement speed will decrease, but their attacks are heavy hitting. Shockwave are harder hitting. Counters are dished out frequently, recommended tactics are still the same, but reflexes must be refined.**_

"Chris, Alito, I'm going full force!" Death frowned.

"Reaper Form, huh? Right...distraction, go!" Chris and Alito prepared their Salvation Cannons.

Death frowned as he summoned Harvestor and transformed into the Reaper Form.

Knowing he has ten seconds, Death tanked all the damage while he delivered slashes, pinwheels, flipsaws, cleaves, and diagonal slashes towards the Enraged Warmaster.

Thanks to Death's distraction, Chris and Alito blast the Enraged Warmaster, keeling it constantly with rapid-fire shots.

The Enraged Warmaster's eyes turned red, but Chris and Alito managed to anticipate it in time.

"DUCK!"

Chris and Alito parted their ways to dodge the demon's full charging axe attack, leaving trails of lightning in its wake.

Death powered down after ten seconds to prevent the Councils from detecting him, sprinted towards the Enraged Warmaster, sliced off both of its legs, climbed in top of it, and...

"Off with yer head!"

With a crisp snap and slice, the Enraged Warmaster's head came off, and smashed into smithereens.

"Whew...gotta admit, that's one helluva fight." Chris wiped off the sweat on her forehead.

The Hunter slowly peeked out of the door, assuming that the Warmaster might be alive.

"Don't worry, human. The abomination is dead." Death calmly called out.


	32. Tranquil Fury MAX

_**Chapter 32:**__**Tranquil Fury MAX - Chris decimates Belial!**_

_**Because of Orine Aida's involvement with the AKB0048 radio show, Rino Sashihara the 7th will be this chapter's Author**_

_**A minute of calming down later**_

"I've met few allies since the End Day - mostly beasts, and, well...the others. If I didn't know better, I'd say they were angels. Doesn't matter - neither cares much for our kind. But you...you're...different somehow. And the two of you, followers of Death, it's good to see humans who really care." the Hunter replied.

"You would think less of me had I come at any other time." Death replied calmly.

"Besides...we ain't humans..." Chris frowned.

"You don't look like undeads, and you still have blood and injuries, though of lesser amount and are regenerating. So..." the Hunter scratched his head, puzzled.

"You would think less of us if you're a heartless murderer." Chris shook her head, Alito joined along.

"Executioners in your world, I see...Doesn't matter. Thanks, though, for your help." the Hunter bowed slightly.

"How can it be that humans still live?" Death wondered.

"I would hardly call this living." the Hunter replied. "Yeah, my body works just fine. But everything I lived for is gone."

"So you're just like Alito and I, huh?" Chris sighed.

"Pardon?" the Hunter wondered.

"Nothing." Chris's eyes glowed yet again.

"Still...You should be dead." Death replied.

"I stay low. There are ways of avoiding the demons...they're not all-powerful, as they would have us believe." the Hunter grunted.

"You said 'us' - there are others?" Death wondered.

"Not sure. But I work alone. Some things never change, I guess, even after the Apocalypse..." the Hunter shrugged.

"What became of those humans?" Death wondered.

"I don't know. I can only hope that...their end was quick." the hunter sighed.

"That is most likely. Speaking about humans...I respect your need for secrecy, but I must know. How did you survive?" Death replied.

"I...I was a boy scout." the Hunter stuttered.

"A what?" Death wondered in amusement.

"Never mind..." the Hunter shook his head.

"Let's just say a group of boys learning how to survive in nature. You know tips to camp, tips to treat injuries out in the forest, and whatnot. It's like Brownies, except that group is for girls." Chris replied.

"Yeah...that." the Hunter scratched his head.

"I see." Death mused.

"The demon lord caught up with me a while back. We...made a deal." the Hunter replied. "I sold my soul."

Chris's eyes widened, but managed to keep her calm shortly after by taking a deep, calm breath.

"I see...and what else did you give up?" Chris wondered.

"He forced me to tell him the hiding place of the other survivors." the Hunter shook his head.

Chris clenched her right fists, walked up to the Hunter, and lifted the Hunter up by his neck. The Hunter struggled with both hands to let go.

"You...told him the place of the other survivors?" Chris's eyes glowed more intensely; the arcane tattoos glowed through her armors as she tightened her grip.

"I have...no other choice..."

"You have a bloody choice! Are you going to dishonor your kind, by ruining their very chances of survival, and possibly ruining a chance of a family reunion? HUH?! YOU TELL ME!" Chris bellowed as she threw the Hunter towards the other side of the road.

The Hunter picked himself up, coughing, and seeing Chris wielding her Lifebane and approaching the Hunter. The Icy Maiden's aura froze the Hunter's legs as her tranquil fury burst the windows of shops and buildings around her.

"You dishonorable son of a bitch...You will die!" Chris was just about to impale the Hunter when Alito's conscience rang inside her mind.

_"Please, my Lady! He had no other choice unlike other genuinely heartless beings! What will happen if our parents are still alive, and they faced the same too? Our mindset will still be the same, right? Besides he too know it's his fault, just like how we know it's our fault our parents died! Please..." _

Chris stopped on her track; her arms trembled slightly as she looked down as the hilt of Lifebane shone green.

The Icy Maiden stood down, the aura became calmer, and the cold rush of air became a breeze as Lifebane powered down.

_"Alito is right...I would have done the same if my parents are still alive. What a difference in my thought processes after the Fuschias's death...Fuck...Guess I am being too caught up about him..." _Chris shook her head.

"You still killed innocents though...and that's wrong!" Chris frowned.

"I know it's wrong! Do you think I have a choice though? If any, it's Belial!" the Hunter frowned.

"The Demon Lord, huh? Heh...well, let's kill 'em little prick." Death frowned.

"Kill Belial? You're out of your mind! Those things that attacked us earlier - they were nothing! Belial is a Demon Lord!" Chris gripped the Hunter once again by the collar. The Icy Maiden's eyes glowed calmly, yet with a surge of tranquil fury - a fury that surprised even Death.

"I have met and slain many tyrannical overlords during the two years before coming here...be it emperors, kings, queens, people who have strong dark magic, or even demons...you name it, you got it. That is how Alito and I honed our Project Programmes. Don't. Underestimate. Us." Chris frowned.

"I too, have slain many lords in our time." Death boasted.

"Whatever you say." the Hunter shrugged.

"There is no such thing as 'Whatever you say'...We WILL kill that Belial...Where is he?" Chris shot out.

The Hunter could see the resolve in Chris's eyes; she was not lying...

The Hunter managed to give them Belial's last known place, which was coincidentally at the old abandoned tunnel near the second Noss.

The Hunter stayed behind to prevent himself from detection by Belial. Chris, Alito and Death continued to lay waste to the Swarm by using their Salvation cannons.

"You are really ticked off, huh?" Death wondered.

Chris, who calmed down considerably, sighed.

"Then again...If the Fuschias were still alive, and I met the same threatening situation where someone blackmailed me...I would have done the same. After all, I love my parents and closed ones." Chris took a deep breath before continuing.

_**Flashback - Three Days before the Fuschia's demise**_

_**Mr and Mrs Fuschia's bed**_

Chris's mother and father, who were infected with the bacterium, sat on their bed. The two lovers heard a soft knock on the door.

"Mom, Dad?" Chris called out.

"Come in, my sweet..." Mrs Fuschia simpered weakly, coughing.

Chris, who was only six, opened the doors with her small, white hands as she carried with a jug of ice water.

"Mom...Dad...Please tell me you're going to be alright..." Chris hoped.

"Come, sweetie. Let's not talk about despondent things for now. Mommy knows that you're really filial taking care of us." Mrs Fuschia simpered.

"How about we watch a movie as a family? It's been some time since we have watched a movie as just a family of three." Mr Fuschia chuckled weakly.

"Sure! I love movies! What about Noires? I love Noires!" Chris hopped up and down.

Mr and Mrs Fuschia chuckled.

About an hour into the movie, Chris and her parents saw a scene in which the protagonist was blackmailed into giving out the locations of the survivors just to have his family saved.

"Chris, my sweet...Can I ask you a question?" Chris's mother asked.

"Sure mommy." Chris nodded.

"What if...that scene you have seen just now...happens to you?" Chris's mother whispered.

"Me? I don't want to lose anyone of you!" Chris, immune to the e-coli bacterium, shot out as she embraced her mom.

"Why?" Mr Fuschia asked.

"Because I love you! I don't want to lose anyone of you! Never ever!" Chris shot out, her tears brimming on her eyes.

"Silly girl...You will have to realize that you should not dishonor your kind, Chris...The innocents too, have families, right?" Chris's mother simpered.

"But I don't wanna lose you! I rather have you all, than have the rest of the world! Please mom, please don't tell me the abductions gonna happen to you...please..." Chris clenched her mother and father's hands tightly and looked at them with concerned eyes.

"One day, Chris...You will understand that the victims of blackmail and the people who were rat upon...have families to take care off. There will be other ways to get around them...trust me." Chris's mother simpered.

_**Flashback end**_

"So your thoughts on letting your family survive in the event of a blackmail...is the same as the Hunter's." Death replied.

"Yeah...My opinions about blackmails, however, changed after the Fuschia's death. I felt it would be a dishonor; going against the Fuschia's and my wish to prevent history from happening again."

_**Flashback - Ten Days after receiving the Project Programmes**_

_**1**__**st **__**July 2000**_

Chris was writing a stack of reports about the unveiling of the upcoming Audi Le Mans Quattro at the Frankfurt Motorshow and the Akihabara Motorshow Festival in 7th July. Alito was standing beside the Icy Maiden, as usual, with the executive matters at hand.

One of the workers at the Audi HQ, Henry March, knocked on the door softly.

"Come in..." the Icy Maiden exhaled.

The tall middle-aged man with black and white hair and middle-sized ears and black eyes opened the door gently. He was wearing a white workers' overall with an Audi logo.

Chris could see that Henry, one of Chris's senior workers in the Audi HQ, was getting nervous thanks to the Project Tundra's Emotional and Social Analyser implanted upon her cranium as part of Project Tundra.

Chris's augmented eyes calculated Henry's blush response, pupil dilation, increased heat rate, facial expression, and body language to gauge Henry's current condition level.

"Sit down; I won't bite." Chris calmly spoke.

Henry sat down as he simpered. Chris could see, however, that Henry's smile was forced.

"What would you want to see me for?" Chris wondered, giving a puzzled expression and wanting to 'play' along.

"Uh...yeah! There's someone by the name of Radley, he's...one of my friends living close to my home. I just wonder if you could come to his house later this evening. He has something to discuss about the upcoming Audi RS4 by August." Henry scratched his hair.

"Oh? He knows about the RS4? Do you mean he came to know it from you? That's great! But that's a bit surprising though..." Chris simpered.

"Huh?" Radley wondered.

"The Audi RS4 did not have a confirmed release for production. We are only ready to reveal it during the Frankfurt and Akihabara Automotive Festival. By then, only the executive board management Mr Wolfgang, Alito, and I know about the release dates. Why is it that you knew about the release month?" Chris simpered.

"Uh...I...a coincidence...yeah! Some leaked news came out this couple of weeks, isn't it?" Henry wondered.

"Mr Henry...we had made sure that there will be no, and I mean no leakage involved. I had people monitoring the situation 24/7, me included, with up-to-date tracker tech. You can't fool me, unless those 'leaks' are from rendering and speculations. Besides, you thought the release month is on August, right?" Chris simpered.

"Eh?" Henry wondered.

"Mr Henry...own up. There's something going on in you that makes you want to cook up a lie, right? The unveiling of the RS4 isn't in August. Something tells me that the Radley person is up to no good. Besides, your status and body conditions told me that you are going through a difficult time." Chris looked in concern.

"I..." Henry stammered.

"Mr Henry...You are one of senior workers in Audi, and I have paid you well to sustain your family for years to come. I appreciate your work and your punctuality but lately...you have been late several times. What is it, Henry? I can help." Chris sighed.

Henry knew that Chris still cared for her workers despite having 'The Icy Maiden' persona.

Chris spotted Henry's eyes darting back up and down and twitched his eyebrows. It did not take an idiot to know what Henry was signalling - there was an assassin.

Chris sighed. "I have already got it covered."

The Icy Maiden clicked her fingers as an air filter spit out a frozen hunter on the ground.

"My security systems can detect assassins the moment hacking or intrusion happened. It's also resistance to electrical overload. The moment the systems detected the intruder, they will be frozen on the spot." Chris continued.

"Now can you tell us, why is that Radley guy doing an epic fail?" Chris asked.

Henry shook his head as his eyes teared up, despite trying his best in calming down.

"You know the hidden heartless murderer Radley Base?" Henry asked.

"F.B.I's Most Wanted Death lists number eight?" Chris frowned.

"He kidnapped my parents, and tells me that if I did not kidnap several innocent people for him to kill and to get enough money for his escape..." Henry shook his head.

"Why? You know those people are innocent people!" Chris shot out.

"You know how much of I treasure my family, Miss Fuschia! I certainly can't...can't see my family of five go!" Henry teared up once more.

_**Flashback end**_

"Back then, that's when reality suddenly hit me about what my mother had said ten years ago. I don't want any innocent families to die under the hands of a heartless asshole again; I can help those victims. There were other ways we can approach the blackmail, by killing those murderers off." Chris frowned.

"How did you manage to kill the murderer-cum-kidnapper?" Death wondered.

"Advanced triangulation. Tracing the caller ID's and the relay signals, or to put it simply...tracing one's energy signature." Alito replied.

"It's surprising, isn't it? That one incident changed your perspective on life. I love the Fuschias, but it is only after they died...did I realized how much I really loved them - a fuck ton a lot. That is more than enough to decide in preventing history, to know that there are multiple ways around a problem." Chris sighed and smiled sadly.

Death mused about it for a moment, than nodded.

"What if I say...I will give you a chance to solo Belial?" Death asked.

Chris could feel a rush of calm and determination to prevent history rushing towards her body again. "It will be my fucking pleasure, but. Belial of this world is hard, right?"

"Heh! Not at all! A person of your level can defeat him. He's a glutton, but a glutton for punishment!" Death snickered.

"Really?" Chris wondered.

"When the Charred Councils commanded me to keep Belial in check over several occasions, I always ended up winning, handily." Death boasted.

Death gathered Chris and Alito around and whispered Belial's attack.

"I will leave the both of you to decide on the tactics, provided I finish off the second Noss later." Death chuckled.

"Anything just to lay that fucker to rest!" Chris and Alito nodded.

_**Inside the Old Abandoned Tunnel**_

Several red stone shaped like devil-like horns surrounded the Abandoned Tunnel. Smokes of red rose from the ruins and destroyed cars, ruined electric boxes, and electrical lines.

In an elevated, rocky ground laid an extremely fat demon with big upside-down wings and wore a red, devilish eye amulet. His body was pale and flabby like a fat slob of slime, with scars across his back and chest.

He had four horns and a knight helmet with two vampire incisors and sharp teethes. His wore pauldrons shaped like horned demons with incentives on his wrists. He wore a golden skull belt and plates around his waist. Purple clothes covered his waist down.

The demon was ravaging through the fleshes of a corpse, his teethes tore its sinews apart.

Death shook his head and snickered, "Belial. The legions of Hell must be in such a sorry state, to make you a Lord."

Belial turned around and shot back. "Curb your tongue, Horseman, or I will tear it out! Why have you trespass my domain along with two other followers? Are they humans as well?"

"It seems some humans have survived the Apocalypse - despite the best efforts of your kind. Besides, those two allies of mine claimed themselves to be not Humans. Make of that what you will." Death frowned.

Belial laughed. "You speak of the Hunter?"

"Hmph. He claimed that he sold you his soul." Death replied.

Belial grunted. "His soul's damnation was merely a threat to keep him in check. After all, how much harm can one human truly cause?"

Chris and Alito stepped out, clenching their fists.

"Oh, Belial...You have no idea what one human can cause...because you are a demon. We were once humans before and even if we never know the meaning of humanity before forsaking it through...unforeseen circumstances, we at least know how each human can make an impact...on us." Alito spoke in a slow, but calm manner.

"You two are nothing but pathetic flies to be squashed on!" Belial cackled.

"For a person whose name literally translates to...'worthless', I doubt it." Chris smirked.

"Lilith and Samael may coddle you, Horseman, but I have no more patience for your prattle, or your followers' ramblings!" Belial frowned.

"Did you deceive the Hunter, or did he deceive you?" Death chuckled.

"What?" Belial replied.

"You're obviously scared of the Hunter. Why else would you want to keep him in check then? Don't tell me any sort of bullshit like 'Oh, I want to keep him in check so I know where other humans are.' and blah blah blah...Even a Demon Lord as weak as you will have enough power to just rummage through the city and find people to eat! You're afraid that the Hunter has taken out your demons as of late, and decide to scare him with that cheap tactics of yours...pathetic." Chris snarled.

Belial roared as he covered himself in a dark aura and flew over towards Chris and Alito. He landed with a big, black shockwave, one that the trio easily dodged.

"Nephilim, you and your followers will die here!" Belial roared as he materialised a large, trident with three red crystals embedded upon its fork.

Death laughed and shook his head. "We both knew that isn't true...besides, I don't have time for the likes of you; you're far too weak. Chris and Alito will finish you off, because they have a score to settle with you."

"You have hurt the lives of innocent beings, blackmail the Hunter into giving up innocents' locations...Oh, I will enjoying ripping you to shreds!" Chris's eyes glowed as a rush of cold air burst through.

The Pale Horseman stood aside.

"If you so please..." Death nodded.

Alito transformed into Lifebane as Chris quickly scanned through Belial.

_**WARNING, WARNING, BOSS FIGHT INTIATED: BELIAL**_

_**Morphology: Belial**_

_**Type: Demon Lord**_

_**Armor: Heavy**_

_**Weapon: Belial's Trident**_

_**Element: Darkness **_

_**Description: A Demon Lord with an unimpressive reputation. Despite being the weakest of all Demon Lord, he is capable of manipulating darkness with his trident to attack with reasonable range. His attacks include erupting Tridents around Belial, shooting a powerful, but linear, projectile attack, a wide energy slash which has a arc about 20 CM long. **_

"You will die, you weakling!" Belial roared.

Chris's mind went back to the very day where her mother told her about having another way around if blackmail happened...

_"One day, Chris...You will understand that the victims of blackmail and the people who were rat upon...have families to take care off. There will be other ways to get around them...trust me."_

The Crowfather's explanation of solace rang through Chris's ears during the night before departing for Lostlight.

_"When in solace; when knowing what he or she must do for a period of time, their body will reach a state of calm, a state of tranquil fury. Their potentials unleashed. That is your power, Chris. Use these to decimate your opponents."_

_**"I want to save the innocents."**_

_**"I want to prevent history from repeating itself."**_

_**"I will find a way, and that's by killing you..."**_

Chris's eyes and the arcane tattoos created upon her body as a side effect of Project Tundra's creation, glowed blue intensely. Her blue hair grew darker as it danced along with the chilly wind.

A huge burst of cold air condensed the vapour in the air to white, condensed droplets and smokes. Snow and ice fragments coated upon the red, devilish crystals, and the smoke that filled the tunnel's ceiling condensed to nothingness.

"Just. You. Try..." Chris held Lifebane and instantly made a teleport towards the fat Demon Lord.

Lifebane's blade body glowed intensely with arcane runes as the Icy Maiden plunged it deep into Belial's flesh, and slashed the Demon Lord's body whole way through like silky paper.

Belial roared in pain and disbelief. He plunged his Trident into the ground, expecting to rid Chris and Lifebane.

However, Chris's Project Tundra quickly predicted the surge of darkness rising out from the ground and managed to dodge the Trident's projectiles erupting from the ground. The corrosive aura around the trident projectiles, however, managed to scorch through Chris's skin.

_**Corrosive damage detected - Chemical resistance filter activated within Lungs and Skin to reduce further damage.**_

Not that it would matter Chris anyway. Her tranquil fury surpassed all she could think of.

Belial charged up and released a big and powerful Trident projectile but Chris managed to dodge past the linear attack easily.

Chris instantly sprinted towards the lumbering Demon Lord and taking advantage of his delay between attacks thanks to his size, delivered flurries of slashes across his body.

Each blow and slashes from Chris's Lifebane sliced through Belial's flesh, freezing and shredding through each sinew, flesh and bones thanks to the wind and ice element.

Belial planted his Trident on the ground once more for a Trident Erupt attack. The Trident successfully shredded through the Icy Maiden's skin.

Chris's skin resistance managed to cut the corrosive effect, allowing the Icy Maiden to stand her ground and continually slashed Belial's body for extended periods without flinching. The extended periods, however, meant the corrosiveness lingered on her skin, offsetting the augmentation's usefulness.

Then again, Chris had fought many Lords, as Death did, over the two years. Besides, no amount of pain could exceed the pain brought by the Fuschia's demise.

Enraged at his injuries and Chris's refusal to fall, Belial roared and surrounded himself in a black, corrosive aura.

_**Belial is now entering temporary invincibility - hit on the eye necklace to break his invincibility.**_

Chris detected the eye and quickly plunged Lifebane on the eye, resisting the scorching aura burning through Chris's bones and vessels; her systems tried their very best to reduce the amount of internal damage caused by Belial's aura.

Chris's eyes glowed intensely along with her body's arcane tattoos once more, dragging the hilt of the merged Lifebane down Belial's eye necklace and leaving a wide gash. The Icy Maiden managed several back flips to evade the attack and get more distance between the Demon Lord and her.

The corrosive aura faded as Belial unleashed eight small Trident projectiles around him and commanded them to rain upon the icy Maiden.

Chris quickly scanned through the distance between each trident and deflected them with absolute ease.

"Impossible! How can you even resist my corrosive aura brought about by my Trident?!" Belial frowned.

Chris spoke nothing and sprinted towards the Demon Lord, leaving nothing to chance as the former impaled the latter through his flabby stomach and delivered a gashing uppercut. The arcane ice magic super cooled Belial's blood vessels, causing their cells to die.

Death stood from afar, his eyes widening at how Chris's tranquil fury is effectively taking Belial's onslaught of attacks well.

_"To think her determination of preventing history exceeded all means...She might not claim to be human...but then again, she just needs time. God knows what she will be if she found out the meaning of humanity..."_

Belial slammed his Trident in a fit of rage, summoning branching cracks of darkness and unleashing a powerful upper shockwave.

Chris quickly kicks Belial from his flabby chest, jumped to a height higher than the shockwave itself, and dodged it completely as she land down, surprising the Demon Lord.

Chris appeared behind Belial, stabbed him through his back with her merged Lifebane and threw him across with the wall with both icicle-enhanced hands, slingshot style.

Chris summoned an ice clone and unleashed Tundra Formulae: Sawing Blitz and Electron Blitz. Their calm and collected choreographed moves allowed the Lifebane to slice through Belial's flesh at tremendous speed, creating an electron shell formation that blocked whatever Belial can shoot at them.

Chris and Ice Clone delivered a powerful uppercut on Belial, moved behind the Demon Lord, and kicked the fat demon's arse.

A huge concentration of ice built up upon Chris and the Ice Clone's leg tips and let loose a powerful blast of ice, sending Belial crashing over the other side of the wall.

Chris teleported towards the fat Demon Lord, grabbed him by his wings, and threw him towards the Ice Clone. The Ice Clone unleashed several slashes within seconds and quickly unleashed a blitz kick upon Belial's eye necklace.

Chris jumped up towards the Demon Lord, used her icicle-enhanced fists to bash Belial's head in the ground time after time again, lifted the Demon Lord's body and threw him towards a group of red crystals.

The Demon Lord Belial's eyes fixed upon the Icy Maiden with disbelief.

"This is impossible...How is that your calmness can cloud my chaos?" Belial angrily threw several big Trident Projectiles.

Chris either deflected the projectiles, or braved through the corrosive attacks like a tank without speaking a word. Her processing unit rapidly calculate the amount of arcane energy needed for her next move.

Realizing that Chris would not speak, Belial flew into a rage and unleashed a large corrosive sphere around his body once more. In a desperation attack, he had his eye necklace rapidly moving around the sphere while shooting Trident-like projectiles.

The Project Tundra managed to anticipate the eye necklace's location - in Belial's middle chest - despite massive wounds inflicted upon her bodies. Chris, plunged Lifebane into Belial's eye necklace, gouged it out, and crushed it with her right hand.

As a last-ditch effort, Belial lunges in forth with his Trident, but Chris evaded it, grabbed the Trident by its hilt, unleashed an icicle blast to knock Belial off, and stabbed his heart with the Trident.

"Y...You...You can defeat me? A Demon...Lord?" Belial choked.

"I don't care if you are an emperor, king, a demon, a self-proclaimed god, or the Devil...Once you kill innocent people through any means, even blackmailing people..." Chris brought her right hand back. "You die..."

Chris's right hand impaled Belial's short, yet stubby neck and tore out the Demon Lord's spine with a violent tug. Belial's screams echoed the old abandoned tunnel, scaring no one.

Chris and Alito's arcane tattoos cooled down as their aura slowly dissipated into the thin air. The two maidens fell on one of their knees and struggled to get back up despite the corrosive damage done on their muscles and skin. Chris placed her right hand over her left as she contacted the Project Tundra's core.

"Damage Assessment..." Chris called.

_**"Damage Calculation at 60% - Recovery period using advanced cardio tech is in four hours."**_

"That's a well worth price to pay..." Chris frowned. "Now that fucker won't mess up anyone's life, nor tricked anyone into blackmail..."

Death clapped his hands as he approached the two women.

"I am certainly impressed. No, I really am. That Belial...he underestimated you." Death grunted.

"No. He overestimated a human's impact. He will never know how one person can affect another being's life, let alone thirty of them." Chris huffed and winced slightly.

"Are you okay? You seemed like you need a bit of rest." Death asked in concern.

"Then again, for someone who is the Ender of all Life...?" Chris chuckled sarcastically.

"Did your memory bank become corrupted with the corrosion damage? I did say that I have come to respect your abilities, did I?" Death crossed his arms and looked in amusement.

Chris gave a short chuckle and simpered. "Thanks, Pale Rider. We owe you one."

"Well, Belial is not in my league anyway, so he's not worth my time and place. Since you want to kill those heartless murderers though...I feel I should respect your wish. Nothing doing." Death shrugged.

"Though I must say, I'm quite surprised you're able to handle Belial with such tranquility despite Belial's corrosion aura of darkness." Death continued.

"It's just that...when I'm in a state of mind to get things right, my mind just becomes a lot clearer...and my processes either resist damage a lot more...and I can think faster." Chris replied, wondering.

"I see...your actions say it all." Death nodded.

_"Is that what the 'Solace' that the Crowfather had told Chris about earlier?" _Death wondered.

"You're getting there, Chris and Alito." Death nodded.

"What?" Chris wondered.

"Your love for the Fuschias that shaped up your resolve today...You have my respect all the more." the Pale Rider nodded as three placed their hands together.

"To be able to earn the oldest ancient being in all of Creation...is an honor we will take it by both hands." Chris simpered, with Alito nodding along.

"Trust me, only a few came to deserve my respect over a span of eons. You're privileged enough." Death chuckled.


	33. The Rod of Arafel

_**Chapter 33: The Rod of Arafel!**_

Chris, Alito, and Death felt rumbles between their feet as rubbles began falling from the ceiling.

"We're near where the Noss might be." Death frowned. "Can you still fight?"

"Our combat systems have been reduced to just projectiles attack to facilitate the regeneration and power recovery. Besides that, our functions are reduced to manual labour, and that is all. Don't worry, our analysis systems are still working fine." Chris nodded.

Chris, Alito, and Death rushed out of the Abandoned Tunnel and saw the Noss stretching its limbs as it awakened from its slumber.

Death summoned three ghouls to lure the stingers and Noss as he unleashed a powerful shockwave from his Slice of Death while shooting down multiple stingers at once.

Chris and Alito managed to unleash streams of light bullets upon the swarms of stingers, quickly scanning and anticipating the locations of each stinger.

Death managed to unleash a few more shockwaves, with the ghouls, Chris, and Alito ridding the swarms. The Noss stumbled for a few times before crashing down upon his back, dissolving into the dark, grim atmosphere.

"Despite your injuries, you are able to shoot them down...Resilience seems to be your strengths." Death praised.

"I have been through things similar to that. That's why our bodies and augmentations are adapted in recovering quicker than past times. Still need three hours for the weapons to work completely." Chris nodded.

"I assume you are resistant towards normal, human-made weaponry like bombs, guns, rockets, and the lot as a result of your constant adaptation to supernatural damages that are stronger than said weapons?" Death wondered.

"Of course." Chris chuckled.

"That's a relief. We have no time to waste, though. The Hellguards trapped inside the Noss, we have to rescue them." Death replied.

"Right...We have to return to the Hunter after." Chris and Alito nodded.

_**A minute later**_

"Thank you, Horsemen and the two followers, for saving us three. My name is Achiel. From one warrior to another." the middle white hair Hellguard bowed.

"I'm Achiezer." the brown hair, middle-aged Hellguard followed.

"And I'm Achituv." the silver hair Hellguard concluded.

"That's great. Uriel is certainly worrying about the three of you. You should hurry back, we have something to backtrack upon but we will catch up soon." Chris nodded.

"What about the other six?" Achtiv wondered.

"We have rescued three from the first Noss, and now we have just the last Noss to fry. Where is the second piece of the Rod of Arafel, by the way?" Death nodded.

"The hilt? It should be in the rubbles where the Noss fell." Achituv pointed towards the heap of rubbles.

The team managed to rummage through the rubble and found the hilt.

"Sweet. Now let's get back to someone first." Chris nodded.

"It's getting dangerous, though. It will be safe if we follow you." Achituv hoped.

"Sure thing. Who knows, maybe Sufferings might come at anytime. Judging by my system recovery, charging head on will be suicide." Chris nodded.

_**Construction Site Safe House**_

The Hunter quickly approached the trio. The Hellguards followed behind.

"You're back. Belial - is he...?" the Hunter wondered.

"Belial is dead. He's way too weak for me though. You might be surprised; these two Maidens did it." Death replied.

"Wait, what? You killed Belial? Humans...kill Belial?" the Hunter's eyes widened.

"Not without repercussions, though. But it's well worth the risk; he would not trouble the remaining survivors any longer." Chris gave a weak simper, her body still regenerating its biomechanical augmentations.

"Besides...we ain't humans. We have forsaken our statuses as humans two years ago..." Alito shook her head.

"But even then..." the Hunter wondered in disbelief.

Chris and Alito nodded.

"Would you promise to keep it a secret if other survivors asked you about the person who saved you?" Chris asked.

"I would, you have my words." the Hunter nodded.

Chris turned towards Achiel, Achituv, and Achiezer.

"We want to have some privacy for a while, so would you please?" Chris asked.

"We respect thou's privacy." the Hellguards bowed and moved eight strides away from Death, Chris, Alito, and the Hunter.

_**Minutes of explanation later**_

"But I ain't going to wallow in self-pity. I know if I turn back, my loved ones will be disappointed. Until I find solace and the meaning of humanity thereafter, I'm not stopping any innocent beings from being killed or blackmailed!" Chris clenched her fists.

"I see...biomechanical augmentations and arcane magic. Wow, that is a first. Then again, this world is not very peaceful as your world is for that sort of advancement in tech, what with political war, financial depression, and all that crap. Still, I am very grateful for you both. My soul is free!" the Hunter chuckled.

"Give Death credit though...without him telling us about Belial's attack prior to that bastard's fight, we would not be able to strategize in delivering damage at the highest efficiency." Alito simpered.

"Besides...I'm sorry for being such a dick to you." Chris sighed.

"Why? You saved my life!" the Hunter wondered.

"To be honest, I have the same thought as you when I was young, very young; the thought about giving people's location away just to ensure one's own, or your family's safety. My mother told me, back then, that there would be other ways around the problem even if it might seems hopeless. It's surprising really, how your loved ones impact you in many ways unimaginable, especially after...realizing you loved them more than you think." Chris simpered.

"Well, they say 'Mom's the word'. I ain't surprised. Then again, can't say that I blame you for accusing me as a heartless murderer. Thanks to you three, though." the Hunter shrugged and smiled.

"Hunter...your soul was never captive. Belial admitted that he had no power to take it." Death replied.

The Hunter's eyes widened in shock, then to anger, and then to shame...

"He tricked me? That means...I gave the others up for nothing...?" the Hunter shook his head, his right hand clasping his face.

"No, wait! I don't think so...hold on. Let me get my communicator device." Chris replied as she called Draven once more.

_**Moments later**_

_"Yes...there's still seven short of the seven billion full population admitted into the Well of Souls. That includes the Hunter." _Draven called.

"That's a relief...but...no...I can't live with what I've done. I mean...I give my soul up for nothing..." the Hunter shook his head.

"A blackmail is a blackmail...You have no other solution until we come along. We can't really blame you, right? If any, it's Belial." Chris asked.

"But still..." the Hunter shook his head.

The Trio turned around and asked the Hunter to huddle close.

"Our main purpose is to get the Rod of Arafel to get the Angel Key. We will be getting the Demon key after, which will lead us to the Well of Souls. We can revive humanity thereafter." Chris explained the trio's plan.

"R...Really?" the Hunter replied.

"The Well of Souls is Reincarnation central." Alito nodded.

"Yes. That will relive you of the torment and blackmail that Belial gave you." Death nodded.

"But I still can't live with it. After the humans that I rat upon revived, they will certainly kick my ass. Not that it matters because...I deserve it." the Hunter shook his head.

"We volunteer in being your witnesses. You have our words. Just don't die...please?" Chris gave a concerned look as she joined Alito in holding the Hunter's hand and giving a soft, but reassuring squeeze.

The Hunter sighed, "I can't...I can't say how grateful I am to the three of you..."

"All we want is for Humanity to be restored, so that my brother can be freed; he's framed for something he had not committed." Death frowned.

"For Alito and I, nothing beats more than the ones you have fought for restored back to life...if possible." Chris simpered, Alito nodding along.

"Thanks a million, you three. Thanks a million. I will be waiting for the great news. And thanks again, for ridding that scourge Belial." the Hunter nodded.

"Anything to destroy any heartless murderers, Hunter." Chris bowed.

As the team and the rescued Hellguards left for Uriel...

"It's unbelievable still, that you can kill a Demon Lord. Granted, he's the weakest of all Demon Lord, and the Pale Rider helped you in revealing his attack before the fight...but still..." Achiel commented.

"Alito and I don't mind dying...We will do anything to prevent history from repeating itself, even if the only solution is death. You have no idea how much impact the demise of an entire family can bring." Chris frowned.

"I see...we dare not judge your capacities and Alito's. Our apologies if we let you think we are judging you." Achiel replied.

"It's okay, Achiel. Alito and I were surprised ourselves at times too. You will be surprised at the adventurers back at our dimension, not just us, though." Chris simpered.

"Really?" Death wondered.

"Some adventurers are capable of dealing with monsters as powerful as three T-Rexes, supernatural creatures with armor that as strong as ten ankylosauruses, and monsters as high as the as the Petronas Towers. I'm not kidding." Chris simpered.

"I assume you deal with those types too, right?" Death wondered.

Chris and Alito nodded.

"Just wondering...how does adventurers happened in your dimension?" Achituv wondered.

"Ever since the politics stabilized immensely, nature has been restored to optimum level. New life forms and monsters are discovered even until this day. Budding adventurers soon grew and the government quickly put their heads together and organised the Republic Guild of Adventurers. It's always nice to see people capable of turning their dreams of being adventurers into reality." Chris simpered.

"Told you...your world could be worse." Death grunted.

"Thanks, Death. You gave us enough confidence to deal with stuff back at our world." Alito simpered.

_**Back at the Building near the Earth Portal**_

_**"**_Achiel, Achituv, and Achiezer!" Uriel shot out in relief.

"Commander Uriel!" the three Hellguard bowed.

"It's such a relief to see the three of you back in our team!" Uriel nodded.

Death, Chris, and Alito approached the Hellguard commander.

"There is still one more piece of the Rod of Arafel left; I can feel the power of the Rod within you, Death." Uriel continued. "The Rid wills itself whole. You may be deaf to its cries, but I am not - the final piece lies beyond the North-east, by the Golden Gate Bridge, be warned...it is an area heavily fortified by the Shadow."

"Rest assured, Uriel. The shadows are weakening. Belial is dead." Death nodded.

"You what? You killed one of the major Demon Lords?" Uriel's eyes widened.

Chris, Death, and Alito nodded.

"More specifically, Chris and Alito." Death commented.

"Your arcane abilities are beyond any humans have imagined, Chris and Alito. For you to destroy the Demon Lord, you have our respect." Uriel bowed.

"Anything to secure the survivors' safety. Besides, we were humans before...but we have forsaken it since. I do hope, however, that you will respect my secrecy...for now." Chris nodded.

_"Not human? What does she mean? They are clearly human..."_ Uriel wondered, but nodded anyway.

"The Destroyer will not be pleased when I restore the Rod of Arafel, though. Your warriors may pay the price." Death asked in concern.

"The White City is lost to us - this broken world will soon be our grave, and yet we must fight on against the darkness, to uphold the light. If your actions hasten our hand...so be it." Uriel conceded.

Death nodded. "If that's what you want, Uriel, I will respect your wish to stay on."

Uriel could feel the gentle squeeze of Chris and Alito's hands.

"May you survive the Swarm long enough for the Destroyer's destruction, Uriel." Chris simpered.

"Good luck, Death, Chris, and Alito. The final piece is within your grasp." Uriel nodded.

"With the blessings of the Light, run on forth!" Achituv nodded.

As Chris, Alito, and Death set forth to find the last piece of the Rod, Uriel tilted her head and wondered, "Chris and Alito are not human? But I can see that they are clearly human...unless they have a dark, traumatic past..."

The Hellguard's eyes and forehead rune glowed white; Uriel was known to have a partial ability to detect the emotions of people - such was the abilities of all Hellguard's commanders.

She saw a scar upon the chest of both Chris and Alito's soul.

_"No wonder she said she understood me...They too have a dark, traumatic past similar to mine..." _Uriel gazed at the two Maidens with eyes of sympathy.

_**North East - the path to the Bridge**_

After walking through a sewage pathway and out to the road with scattered cars across the ground, the trio encountered a Suffering charging towards the trio from a distance.

"Get to the sewage path!" Chris shot out as the trio lured the Suffering just in time for the big abomination to jar half of its body into the sewage path's exit.

"It won't be long before his body can tear through steel; blast 'em!" Death shot out.

Within seconds, the Suffering roared in anguish, slumped on the floor, and dissolved into thin air.

"Yeah...that's why 'Bigger isn't always better'." Chris huffed.

"Agreed." Death chuckled.

As soon as they came out of the sewer pathway again, a car was thrown towards the trio. Death quickly delivered a powerful uppercut and sliced the car apart.

"Great...another Suffering." Death frowned.

After handily shooting down the abomination with the Salvation cannon once more, Chris, Death, and Alito walked out of the sewer pathway once more. All was clear.

"Right...that was easy." Death grunted.

"We have them cannon, they sure are strong..." Chris nodded.

The last Noss loomed straight ahead, summoning swarms of stingers.

"Last one...ready?" Death asked.

"Our abilities might still be recovering...but that's not gonna stop us!" Chris frowned as she aimed for the Noss. Alito followed along, nodding.

With the same tactics the trio implemented for the first two Noss, the third monstrosity went down the same way they did.

Chris and Alito calmly clenched their fists and mumbled a soft 'yes'.

"Well, this is it...The final piece of the Rod. We clear the path to the Citadel, get the Key, get the Demon Key, and kill the Corruption." Death frowned.

"Four main steps left...we have gone too far to go back now. The humans can live a better life than this...this smolden atmosphere." Chris nodded.

The trio rushed over to the rubble and as usual, found three weak Hellguards lying on the floor. In the middle lies the star-shaped crown of the Rod of Arafel.

The circle ring of the Rod that shaped like an orchid plant - the Eye of Arafel - and the hilt of the Rod, the Staff of Arafel, joined the star-shaped crown and formed the Rod of Arafel.

"Finally...the Rod is formed." Death nodded.

Chris and Alito managed to get the three Hellguards on their feet, who introduced themselves as Gad, Gadi, and Macabi.

"You three look-alike. Guess the Hellguards really do resemble after all." Chris mused.

"The Rod of Arafel, at last it has returned to the light...Thank you for freeing us and reconstructing the sacred weapon." Gad, the silver hair male angel, bowed.

"That's unnecessary. Let's get back Uriel. We have no time to waste." Death frowned.

"Right." the rest agreed.

_**Uriel**_

"Gad, Macabi, Gadi!" Uriel went forth and embraced the once lost Hellguards.

"Commander Uriel!" the three Hellguards bowed, just as Death, Chris, and Alito approached the Hellguard Commander.

"The Rod of Arafel has been made whole." Death spoke.

Uriel brought her hands over the ancient object that was radiating with holy light. She felt tempted, but she drew her hands back, shaking her head.

"I am tempted to ask that you wield that weapon and turn the tide of this war. But I fear the Destroyer would capture it again, and turn it to his dark purpose. No, better that you remove it from this world and into the safekeeping of the White Army. We will make our stand here, until the Hellguard is no more." Uriel nodded.

"As for freeing the angels...Words can't imagine how much that will mean for us as a morale boost. We can't thank you well enough. Chris and Alito, I'm sorry that I doubted you." Uriel bowed.

"Then again, I can't really blame you. I mean, I don't expect anyone here to instantly trust that Alito and I can free them. I just hope you can show a bit more confidence. All in all, I'm glad your tortured Hellguards have returned." Chris simpered.

"We would love to assist you in defeating the demon, Uriel, but my brother takes us on another path." Death replied.

"As with us, we need to destroy the perpetrator of the dimensional disruption in our world." Alito followed.

"You have all proven to be honorable especially on you, Death, a virtue little known for your kind. But if I ever see War, I will make him pay for what he done." Uriel frowned.

"My brother could not cause all of this, I will see him spared." Death frowned.

"So be it...I will have to talk to Chris and Alito about some matters, if you will?" Uriel shrugged.

Chris and Alito nodded, knowing it would not take long.

"Well, I will make a return to Lostlight, I will be waiting for you there, Chris and Alito. Just don't take too long with the conversation." Death nodded.

Chris and Alito nodded in reply.

After Death went first, Uriel sighed.

"Chris, Alito, you don't have to hide it; I know your reasons behind wanting to rescue the Hellguards even when I think it's beyond reach." the silver hair women replied.

Chris's eyes widened.

"Your reason is the same reason as mine, the loss of loved ones, right?" Uriel asked.

"I never told you about..." Chris looked on, puzzled.

"Not all Angels and Demons can mind read, but most can detect emotions. I'm one of them. You said that you don't want history from repeating itself when I doubted your abilities in rescuing the anguished Hellguards, and I can detect a deep wound across your soul despite your calm exterior, just like me..." Uriel sighed.

"You mean...you suffered a loss of a loved one?" Alito wondered.

"Abaddon...But...I hope you do not share it with Death yet..." Uriel hoped.

"We will, promise!" Chris nodded.

"I admired Abaddon...he was the best of us in the Legion of the Hellguards. Besides, I'm honored to have served him as a top lieutenant during our time in the White City. That's when I realized...the feelings I felt for him, is one-sided." Uriel looked away.

"Unrequited love...Because of Abaddon's duty, right?" Chris wondered softly.

Uriel nodded softly.

"You all know what happened during the End War. I'm sure Death has filled you in. Abaddon died by the hands of a Chosen, all because of War...His brother will refuse to admit it, but if War does not appear at all, this will not have happened!" Uriel shook her head.

"Now...would you kindly tell us about your past? No shame in doing so, I hoped. I swear to the Light that everything you said will be kept confidential." Uriel continued.

Chris and Alito looked at each other and nodded, after all, what harm could it bring?

After the confession...

"At least you have the Hellguards...Alito and I though...have none." Chris wistfully shook her head.

Uriel looked down, took a deep breath and calmed herself down.

_"Thirty people of the Fuschia...gone by an epidemic within twelve days after reunion...And Alito...the Gnades died during a civil war. Looks like we are all at the same boat...Mine is Abaddon, Chris is her whole family, as much as Alito does too..."_ she sighed.

However...

"I have evidence that War is not guilty." Chris frowned.

"What?" Uriel frowned.

Chris recounted Elder Eidard's conversation, before the Trio headed on to the Lost Temple, to Uriel.

"The Wardens...they responded to the Broken Seals, yet the Councils said that the Seals were intact?" Uriel shot out.

"A conspiracy, Uriel; someone must have tricked Abaddon and War to Earth, along with the Wardens." Chris frowned.

"No...But how can this be?" Uriel shook her head.

"Think about it. The sixth seal will call all Wardens. The only way a Warden can appear is if the Sixth Seal was broken, or via the Makers' Key. Someone must have broke six out of seven, tricked War and the Warden together to strike Earth, and restored the Seals just as the Councils checked to see if any Call was given." Chris frowned.

"Even if your claim is the truth, one thing still remains...the White City are lost to us; we can never go home." Uriel shook her head.

"No...What you all fight for can be returned. Death, my Lady, and I planned prove War's innocence. Once we have done it, we can persuade the Council to grant us permission to find the conspirators." Alito explained.

Uriel closed her eyes, mused for a moment, and frowned.

She believed that War kick-started the Apocalypse for over a century, how can it be that a conspiracy is responsible?

However, the Warden could only be called upon when the Seals are broken, and War was the most honorable among the Four; aside from the rampage which resulted in him losing his left arm, he had never lost his calm before.

Uriel held her blade, Justice, and replied, "I will confront War if I meet him once more. Until then, I will search for the truth."

Chris and Alito nodded, "Good luck!"

"Chris...Alito...you both have helped the White City in ways we will be infinitely grateful for. Take this..." Uriel gave Chris a large blade with a golden flame-like hilt, two diamond crystals on its hilt, and a silver blade body. The blade body has a gap in between. "Heaven rewards those who seek the truth and justice."

_**Weapon Data: Sunder**_

_**Description: This elegant weapon recalls the grace and power of its original owner, an angel guardian in the White City. The weapons wielded by the venerated guardians are both aggressive and defensive; while Sunder's blades are more than capable of striking any foe with unearthly precision and force, this versatile weapon may also create a protective orb around its wielder that mitigates damage dealt by the enemy.**_

Chris and Alito held their hands on the Sunder and their eyes glowed.

_**Project Tundra and Project Ventus link up complete...**_

_**Dematerialization of weapon at the ready...**_

_**Assimilation of said weapon ready...**_

_**Activate Get Ability Weapon Assimilation System? Y/N**_

The runes of Project Tundra and Project Ventusmaterialised upon Chris's left eye and Alito's right eye. The Sunder began to glow intensely as scribbles of data wrapped around the weapon's body. Within seconds, Sunder vanished.

_**Weapon download complete**_

_**Special Ability: Sunder**_

_**Both of you are able to unleash a powerful light orb that can mitigate damage dealt by the enemy.**_

_**Special Ability: Critical Chance increase **_

_**Enhanced accuracy allowed a higher chance to hit critical area of enemies.**_

"So you can absorb the weapon's ability, download them, and assimilate them as your abilities...such are the wonders of human's intelligence and diligence." Uriel simpered.

Chris was about to wonder why Uriel reckoned Alito and her as humans, when the Hellguard Commander raised her left hand and waved in refusal.

"Don't think of it for now. You said you want to find solace first, right? It's best of you don't derail yourself, I'm sure everything will come to light." Uriel nodded.

Knowing that Uriel was sworn to truth, Chris and Alito calmed down considerably and nodded in reply.

"Thanks, Uriel." Chris and Alito replied as they shook hands with the silver hair woman.

"Remember, Chris and Alito, nothing is more important than solace, justice, and finally truth." Uriel nodded.

Chris and Alito nodded.

Derailment is the last thing they would imagine in doing.

They might be confused about whether they were human...

However, nothing beats anything compared to finding solace and be in a calm state of mind to find humanity's meaning.

Solace...that was their aim, and they would find it...

_**Come what may...**_


	34. Stains of Heresy!

_**Chapter 34: Stains Of Heresy!**_

_**Two hours of charging the Rod of Arafel with light energy later...**_

"The Rod is ready...This is it, Archon." Chris nodded.

"The Rod...fully charged, is every bit as powerful as i imagined." Lucien nodded.

"You should have no problem clearing a path into your city." Death replied.

"A path?" Lucien wondered. "No. I will clear the entire realm."

The Rod of Arafel began charging up with crackles of light energy.

"I will burn away the shadows...with Holy Light!"

Lucien raised his staff up high and unleashed a strong blast of light across the skies. The beam of Holy Light scorched the dark mists of the Ivory Citadel, dissolving the massive amount of Corruption Crystals blocking the Citadel's entrance.

"If you are to reach the Citadel, you will need wings." Archon Lucien continued as he whistled.

A screech echoed the air as Death, Chris, and Alito saw a huge armored griffin descending from the Crystal Spire's roof.

It had golden, scaly armor across its body, with greaves covering its legs. It had a pair of long white wings with golden hilts holding it.

Chris, Alito, and Death mounted on the griffon's back.

"Seek out the Scribe most ancient. He still wanders the ruins. He will help you...end your quest." the Archon smiled.

Chris frowned softly, sensing something might be amiss, but she could not put a hand on what might be wrong.

_**Archon's (Possibly) Suspicious smile - Flagged for further investigation.**_

"I suspect that the Archon wanted the Key for himself..." Chris spoke softly as the Griffon flew its way towards the Ivory Citadel.

"You mean the way he hesitates when he says 'He will...end your quest.'?" Death wondered.

"Yeah. Remember what the Crowfather said? Some amongst the angels might use the Key for their own purpose. We must not bet against the Archon going against us; the Key has immense power and he might want to use it for his own controversial purpose." Chris nodded.

"We need to plan out a prevention plan." Alito replied.

"Don't worry...we can kill him if that's the last thing I have to do." Death frowned.

"Even when he has the Rod of Arafel?" Alito wondered.

"Just because the Archon has the weapon of massive power, doesn't mean he is invincible. If he cannot handle the Rod properly, he is toast. Remember what Uriel said about Hestus?" Death replied.

"Right...that's at least one concern placed down." Chris sighed in relief.

"Always be prepared, I know." Death chuckled.

The team could see the Ivory Citadel hovering upon an island in all of its glory. The ivory-shaped tower had many network of stairs connected to it. The clear round-arched windows of the Ivory Citadel had beautiful murals about Hellguards. The conical spire of the Citadel was so high that it touched the cloudy skies, embracing in its conquest.

The curtain wall was made of beautiful, glistening ivory, as with the main building.

"Wow...the Makers sure do know their architecture design bloody well." Chris looked on in awe despite her calm demeanour.

"They are not the Makers for nothing, I guess." Death shrugged. "After all, I grew a bit bored of it."

"Huh? Why?" Chris wondered.

"I have been through many worlds, and I have seen structures like these billions of times. Maybe because I venture the White City often to reinforce the Balance, as I do for Hell. I felt...meh." Death shrugged once more.

"Saturated with the designs I guess." Alito simpered.

"That's the price of being a Horseman for eons, mind you." Death replied.

"Point noted." Chris simpered.

After landing on the Citadel's entrance, the trio could see Hellguard corpses scattered around, rotting in Corruption.

"Damn...Many gave their lives just to fight off the hate that has given life..." Chris looked on in concern.

"We have to hurry then. Or War is lost." Death frowned.

Upon opening the Citadel's door, the trio met their eyes upon a group of Corrupted Hellguards. Except this time, the Corrupted were holding broad blades.

"Hellguard Champions...Stronger versions of regular Hellguards; be careful." Death frowned.

"Our combat systems won't completely recover till an hour later. That's not going to stop us...though." Chris frowned.

"Let's go!" the trio shot out as they mow past the guards with little to no effort thanks to Death's ghouls and its luring spell.

Chris and Alito unleashed rapid shots of ice and wind slicing and freezing the wings and armor of the Corrupted, allowing Death to move in for the kill with shockwaves from his Slice of Death or brutal one-two spine rip from his Possessed Scythe.

As the trio ascended the Northwest Stairs of the Ivory Citadel to the next level, they saw several blue circles on the walls.

"Wonder what those are..." Chris wondered.

Death's pet crow, Dust, cawed as he flew inside a room just a few strides from where they are, towards their right.

"There are four door guards, and there are only three of us. Ice and Wind clone is not possible unless we wait for another fifty minutes." Chris shook her head.

"I have Soul Splitter, remember?" Death asked.

Death split himself into green and purple Deaths as they went for the North and South side switches. Chris and Alito stood on the east and west side switches. The door guard drops and the mechanisms prevented it from rising up; giving off a 'click'.

The two Deaths dissipate shortly after as the Death broke out of the Grim Reaper statue. Chris and Alito soon joined Death in opening the door, leading to a room with many blue circles upon the walls. Chris's Project Tundra scanned through the blue Circles.

_**Blue circles are made of a special stone that, when applied a specific spell, materialise portals that can allow people to traverse from place to place. **_

There was a skeleton cube held by four chains levitating in mid-air. Death slashed the cube several time and opened the box's content. A small blue glob with lines resembling an electron shell rose out of the box and attached itself upon Death's right arm.

The blue portals were glowing bright as Chris scanned through Death's new gadget.

_**Item Database: Phasewalker**_

_**Description: Strong Arcane Magic can be used to create a rift between two blue circles, summoning two portals to teleport from side to side.**_

Death shoots two blue magic shots at two blue circles - one at the bottom right, one at the top left.

"Let's go, we're close to our destination." Death nodded as he entered the bottom right portal and leapt out from the top left portal into the top right platform. Chris and Alito followed suit.

"Nice...You are thinking with portals..." Chris grunted.

"Well, that makes traversing a lot easier." Death agreed.

Thanks to Death's new gadget, the trio were able to traverse from platforms to platforms, clearing Corrupted Crystals by transferring Holy Light from orb stands to orb stands via portals, and leaping from ledges to wooden stakes for climbing. Within thirty minutes, they reached the other far end of the Citadel, where there are clumps of discoloured Corrupted Crystals along the sidewalks.

"This is it...the Scribe." Chris took a deep breath.

"We can do this, my Lady." Alito nodded.

"Might as well force him to give us if he refused." Death frowned.

As they slammed opened the door, the trio saw a majestic collection of records, dictionaries, books, and other readable documents.

Bookshelves after bookshelves were filled with thick books that have ancient scribing that only angels could recognize. The atmosphere seemed holy and ancient, a testament to the age of the Ivory Citadel - eons.

A large and chubby angel with two medium-sized wings, wearing only white tattered clothes around his hip area, descended down from one of the bookshelves using his reclining chair.

He has wrinkled face and skin, small green eyes and a chubby mouth. Folds of fat could be seen on under his chins, and a big potbelly, as well as chubby hands.

The chubby angel, however, had big black blobs wrapped around its body and the chair.

"The Scribe, corrupted!" Chris frowned.

"Face me!" the Scribe screamed in anger.

As the Scribe charged up a powerful Corrupted Energy beam, Death shot at one blue circle at his back and another at the left blue circle.

The Scribe shot a big Corrupted Blast towards the trio but they managed to dodge it. The Blast passed through the first portal and came out from the Scribe's side, knocking him unconscious.

Chris and Alito piled on their projectiles as Death sprinted forth and delivered a powerful uppercut, followed by a strong flipsaw.

The amount of damage dished out woke the Scribe up and unleashed a corrupted light barrier, rendering the trio's attack invulnerable temporarily.

The Scribe rose high up the air, charging up corrupted energy.

"Don't worry, Death! Our augmentations are active now, all that needs recovery is my combat system and that's ten minutes!" Chris frowned.

Death nodded as he shot one portal beam from his back, and another at the top right.

The Scribe descended fast and slammed upon the ground, unleashing a powerful electrical field. Chris and Alito managed to resist the attack by using their electrical shielding ability that they used against Achidna back at the Land of the Dead.

Death managed to leap backwards into the portal behind him as he came out from the other side. The Scribe summoned two Corrupted Hellguard Champions by his side.

Death summoned three ghouls to lure the Corrupted champions and unleashed a powerful shockwave upon his two victims, all while dodging the Scribe's Corrupted rapid projectiles attack twice in a row.

Death quickly moved in for the kill with a Harvestor Revenge.

Chris and Alito, having dodged the projectiles successfully with acrobatic flips, unleashed four ice and wind javelins towards the Scribe's belly.

The Scribe materialised his Corrupted Whip to slap Chris and Alito. The two maidens managed to dodge the whip, but their weakened combat systems caused them miss spotting another whip heading their way.

The two maidens managed to grab hold of the whip just in time, but their lack of combat systems meant they have no way to counter the whip.

The Scribe's chair spun on the spot, attempting to loosen Chris and Alito's grip on the whip. The two maidens, however, slowly crawled their way. Chris leapt towards the Scribe's head and kicked his teeth in, with Alito following suit. The two maidens managed to land safely thanks to their magnetic dampeners, nullifying fall damage.

"I thought you will never be able to get out of that attack." Death said in an amused manner.

"We ain't sitting ducks; we improvise." Chris replied calmly.

The Scribe's rose up again, charging up for a Corrupted energy beam.

Death saw a cracked blue circle right below the Scribe.

"Let's finish this..." Death grunted as he shot a Phasewalker blast on the blue circle below the Scribe and another at the top right.

The Scribe did not notice what happened and unleashed a sweeping laser down the line, only to find out that the laser passed through the portal below him, came out of the top right portal, and blast him down. The Corruption that attached itself on the chair diminishes into thin air.

"All you...Death." Chris nodded.

"Pleasure's all mine." Death transformed into his Reaper Form, grabbed the Scribe's face, spun a few time to build momentum, and threw him down like a slingshot. The Scribe's fat body crashed beside Chris and Alito.

The Pale Rider powered down, took out his dual Possessed Scythe, and approached the chubby angel. The Scribe rubbed his forehead in pain and raised his right hand, frightened by the Pale Rider's advance.

"Where...Is...The Key?" Death frowned.

"Mercy, Horseman!" the Scribe pleaded.

Death planted his dual possessed scythe near his neck and cuffed it.

"Where is it?!" Death raised his voice.

"Please! I'll tell you everything!" the Scribe begged.

"Death, the Scribe is freed from Corruption. He should bring us no harm whatsoever." Chris spoke calmly.

Death retracted his weapon and stood down.

"Shoot, Scribe." Chris frowned.

"It was...chaos. Even the most noble among us abandoned his sense, and took up his sword. It happened to the Archon. It happened to me..." the Scribe replied.

"The Archon? Wait...what?" Alito gasped.

"It was that damned pool! Their use was forbidden for a reason. Whatever vision he saw within, rent his mind." the Scribe frowned.

"The pool...you mean the pool to Earth at the Crystal Spire's peak?" Chris wondered.

"Yes! The Corruption spread from him. He made this city a slaughterhouse, while professing his own purity! Eventually, the Archon fled to the Crystal Spire to make his home permanent...He took the Key with him." the Scribe sighed.

Death, Chris, and Alito clenched their fists and frowned in disgust; they were tricked by the very Archon who claimed to help them...

The trio, however, kept their cool and proceeded to ask him more question.

"The Archon called you 'Scribe.'...Who are you?" Death wondered.

"I am Jamaerah. Once I was chief scrivener, here in the Ivory Citadel. I recorded things past, things present, and the ever-changing future - for mine, is the second sight. To see through the eyes of others...it is a gift few angels tolerate. Even the Hellguards have their secrets. The Archon wished to learn them...but he saw too much." the Scribe sighed.

"Curiosity kills the cat, I suppose." Alito sighed.

"How could the Archon be corrupted?" Chris wondered.

"Something dark took root inside of him, used him as a puppet, to spread black hate. Perhaps it says much, that we could not tell the difference." the Scribe shook his head.

"Fear and Pride..." Chris frowned.

"Corruption is behind this, yes?" Death wondered.

"His own pride caused him to be infected with Corruption. There was a battle...I can see it...The Archon fought off waves of the Corrupted. His blows shattered the city. Pray, you fare better than stone - if he is in your future." Jamaerah sighed.

"Future? No. Fucking. Way. We are going now!" Chris frowned.

"What? But...he's has the Rod now!" the Scribe frowned.

"The Best..." Chris activated the waypoint teleporter aimed for the Ivory Citdel. "Isn't always the best."

_**Spire's Peak**_

The Archon shook his head, clasping his head in desperation, as he looked over the Portal to Earth.

"NO!" the Archon shot out in fear as he turned around and saw Death, Chris, and Alito approaching him.

"The Key, Archon...we know you have it!" Death frowned.

"You tricked us into the Ivory Citadel, expecting us to be killed by the Scribe's Corrupted power!" Chris clenched her fists.

"Your pride...is your fall!" Alito shot out.

Corruption spread through the Archon's face, cheeks, neck, seeped out of his Hellguard armor, and branched out on his wings.

"It...is MINE!" Lucien shot back.

He continued, "Even though he wanted me to...I couldn't destroy the key. Surely you understand, Horseman, I did what I had to do!"

The trio managed to peer into the well from afar and found out what happened.

Archon opened the Well, let the other Hellguards in and slayed them all...

"Opened the well...Protected the key...From the questions they asked...And from you..." the Archon explained.

"You expect me to believe your reasoning? I kill my brethren in the name of the Balance, and you kill the Hellguards in the name of your pride! You will give us the Key!" Death snarled.

"We don't care...You are not willing to open the Corrupted Well, and Corruption is going to fuck up the entire Creation while you claimed yourself to be pure! You are directly contributing to every single being's destruction...I am not tolerating your bullshit! Give us that fucking key!" Chris's eyes glowed intensely.

"Only I may bear the key!" Lucien growled as he unleashed a powerful bolt of light from the Rod of Arafel.

The trio attempted to block it, but the light bolt proved far too speedy for them to react. The bolt threw them back through several rock towers but soon stood their ground on a platform, injured.

Chris panted as she noticed her scorched flesh exposed into the air.

_"This is not a weapon to be messed with...Fuck..." _Chris winced.

Lucien teleported in front of the trio; his wings covered with branches of Corruption as the black, slimy substance ravaged through his neck and his armor. Crystals of Corruption began to sprout out from his pauldrons, and Corruption filled his waist belt with black and green slime.

"May the light of all that is holy destroy you!" Archon roared.

"Not of we get to you first!" Chris and Alito unleashed several waves of ice and wind projectiles towards Lucien's wing.

Lucien unleashed several bolts of light from his Rod of Arafel and stunned Chris and Alito when the bolts of light neutralised their projectiles!

The remaining four bolts struck Chris and Alito full force, throwing them back into a rock wall, blood spewing out from their mouth.

"Chris! Alito! Dang it...shouldn't have gone rushing headlong into things." Death frowned at the projectiles exchange.

Chris and Alito struggled to get up as their systems were near the final combat system rebooting sequence. Blood coated around their wrists and back.

_**Combat System Reboot Timing: One Minute.**_

_**Preparing to isolate the Rod of Arafel's energy shots.**_

Death managed to flip towards his right, managing to dodge the Bolts of Corrupted Light. The Pale Rider could feel the scorching heat emitting from the bolts.

Death managed to close in the gap quickly through sprinting, delivered a triple slash combo with his dual possessed scythe, joined his weapons into a huge scythe and unleashed a powerful cleave across the Archon's chest.

The Archon pushed Death back with a light barrier, rendering the former invulnerable, and rose into the air while charging a powerful bolt of light.

"The light compels you!" Lucien roared.

Death, however, managed to grab hold of Lucien with Deathgrip leapt towards the Corrupted Angel, and slashed him in a powerful flipsaw.

The Archon plummeted to the platform as he attempted to attack Death using his wings. The Pale Rider managed to dodge towards the side, transformed into the Reaper Form and sliced his Harvestor across Lucien's wings, limiting Lucien's mobility as a result.

Lucien however, managed to get back up and surprised Death by swinging the Rod of Arafel, which was glowing with Holy Light, towards the Pale Rider.

_**Combat System Reboot...COMPLETED.**_

_***PIANG!***_

Death's eyes widened when he saw Chris blocking Lucien's staff swing with her Lifebane.

Chris's eyes glowed blue once more, as she deflected Lucien's staff swing and delivered a triple slash across the Archon's chest.

"Well, that's just in time..." Death remarked.

"I could not possibly leave you for dead..." Chris frowned.

"Because I'm of use to you?" Death replied cynically.

"Because a warrior never leaves his buddy regardless of the crap they might be facing, even before, during, and after a mission! How's that for an answer?" Chris replied calmly.

Death's eyes widened; he never believed anyone would have said that, especially from a human, of all things.

"There's certainly no time to waste then...Let's fight this the proper way!" Death frowned.

The Pale Rider saw the wounds inflicted upon Chris. The Rod of Arafel inflicted wounds upon her body; cuts and blood were everywhere, and her armor parts were corroded, broken, torn, or tattered.

Yet Chris and Alito were standing strong...

"That's the Chris and Alito I have come to respect...Now let's go!" Death shot out.

"I fear no evil!" the Archon roared.

"Because you are evil!" Chris charged upon the Archon.

The latter unleashed another barrage of light projectiles towards the trio.

_**"Sunder's Ability activate - Shielding!"**_

A protective orb made of intense light surrounded the Icy Maiden as the projectiles struck the orbs, absorbing the damage inflicted upon Chris as she deflected some shots away.

Chris clashed her Lifebane with the Archon's Rod of Arafel and managed a quick ice blast with her left hand, freezing the Archon's mini-wings.

The Archon keeled over as Chris unleashed flurries of slashes, some of which managed to hit Lucien's critical area and inflicting a deeper gash upon his body.

Death summoned three ghouls to attack the Corrupted Archon and managed to get in three slashes upon the latter, the possessed scythe drawing blood and flesh from him.

Lucien roared as he let loose a powerful burst of energy shield, blasting Chris, Lifebane, and Death away and summoning four black mini-wings on his back.

The energy shield scorched some of Chris's vital mechanisms within her body as her system had not adapted to the damage yet, but Chris managed to stand her ground still.

_**Systems Damage: 50%**_

"The Light from the Rod is strong indeed..." Chris frowned.

"You sure you want to risk your life just for this?" Death frowned.

"I don't care if I'm going to die or not, all I want is to see your brother safe, and my dimension freed from the disruption! I need no reason for doing my duty and I rather die protecting someone than be a coward like a headless chicken!" Chris frowned.

The Archon teleported to the far end of the platform and began charging up corrupted energy. Charging towards the fray, Lucien unleashed a barrage of Corrupted Light shots once more.

Chris joined Lifebane by its hilt and twirled it just in time to form an icy windshield. The Shielding ability Chris and Alito downloaded surrounded the two Maidens body, further mitigating the damage taken from the bullets.

Lucien delivered a strong swing that destroyed the ghouls, injuring him with three explosions to his face and a powerful shockwave from Death's Slice of Death.

With another sweep, Lucien unleashed a line of Corrupted Light bullets, but Chris was better prepared this time round and dodged it completely.

Only to have Lucien teleporting straight towards the Icy Maiden, preparing to strike her down with a light-imbued slash.

Chris, having studied Lucien's attack pattern, clashed her Lifebane with the Rod of Arafel. The vibration, because of the clash, caused the Corrupted Archon to flinch for a moment and lending an open window for Chris to land a couple of critical slashes, all while braving the corrosion aura that Lucien had upon his body.

_**Systems' Damage at 70% - Critical Condition**_

Lucien quickly recovered and clashed his Rod of Arafel' with Chris's Lifebane once more.

"The Key shall be mine!" the Archon screamed.

"We won't let your selfish rule come to pass!" Chris shot out.

"Not if I kill every one of you!" the Archon's eyes glowed as he surprised Chris and Lifebane with a powerful blast of Holy Light to break the tie, sending a scorched Chris flying over to the other end of the platform.

Burnt scars revealed parts of Chris's mechanical augmentations and blood were seeping out of Chris's body and limbs. The Icy Maiden's in-built visor constantly blurred out, badly damaged by the light that scorched her systems.

_**Tactical Options: Failure to response**_

_**Combat Systems at severe damage**_

_**Weaponry System badly damaged**_

_**Regeneration system down to 15%**_

Chris saw Death struggling with Lucien's assault; the Pale Rider managed to dodge all the bullets that the Corrupted Archon unleashed, but the former was thrown back during a clash with the Archon's Rod.

"I will end your lives, so that you may reborn again!"

Lucien rose into the air, grabbed a huge boulder with the Rod of Arafel, and lifted it above him.

Chris bit the flesh upon her lips, struggling to get up as flashes of her memories with her parents come into play.

_I want to seek solace..._

_I want to find the meaning of humanity..._

_I want to protect the innocent beings in my world..._

_I want to prevent history by saving War with Death..._

_This is for every innocent being living in my world..._

_This is for the Fuschia..._

_This is for Alito..._

_I have moped from the age of eight to the age of ten..._

_Not anymore..._

_I know it's going to be hard to find solace..._

_But this will be my aim, my resolve - to carry on the Fuschia's last will, and to find the solace I have wanted for!_

_I know that Alito will join me in my journey for solace..._

_We are not giving up..._

_Not now...NOT EVER!_

Chris and Alito's dagger, that Valus gave them back in the Makers' Forge, glowed brightly once more. The hilts reacting to their determination pulsating through their bio-mechanical augmentations.

_**Overdrive Systems activated,**_

_**All systems temporary activated**_

_**Systems efficiency 300%**_

_**Reflexes systems up by three times the usual level**_

_**Combat System: MAXIMUM**_

Chris's eyes glowed blue intensely as she cleared her mind with a newly found resolve. She stood forth, tall and proud despite the heavy injuries on her body. Crackles of blue arcane magic surrounding her body as a burst of icicle energy rushed forth like a torrential wave.

Death's eyes widened as he saw Chris's newfound resolve materializing as a powerful aura shaping to be like Alito.

_"So...That's the limitless potential of a human being...Heh, to think that she claimed her humanity is lost. I'm not losing out either!"_

Death grunted as he summoned Harvestor and transformed into the Reaper Form.

Chris charged towards the thrown boulder, shot a massive ice beam to freeze the huge boulder, and shattered it by unleashing powerful icicle energy waves from the Lifebane.

The Archon's eyes widened with shock, fear filling his eyes as he had no time to react a charging Reaper Form Death. The Reaper impaled the Archon from his back, past his spine, and through his heart, killing him.

Archon's death cry echoed through Lostlight's dusty atmosphere...

The Reaper managed to grab both the Rod of Arafel and the Heaven Key before throwing the Corrupted Archon Lucien down into the bottomless pit...

Chris landed on the floor as her aura faded soon after. She stumbled back and forth, her body severely weakening due to the overdrive systems. Her vision blurred by the seconds as she felt her life and blood slowly draining away from her body. She slumped on the floor by her back, breathing heavily and her eyes turned into pale blue.

Alito followed, slumping beside Chris with lacerations upon her body, a small pool of blood caked her body.

Death powered down and quickly approached the Icy Maiden, lifting her up by her back.

"Chris and Alito are you alright?" Death frowned.

_"What for are you helping us...Death...We don't deserve to live at all...if we are to suffer that kind of damage..." Chris coughed._

_"Trust me...Chris, Alito...it would be more dishonourable to die. You might not think it is, but you will realize it in time...Besides, I do not wish to leave those that have helped me in my quest to save my brother for dead. Lest I feel guilty again." Death frowned._

_"You haven't answered..."_

_"You have helped me, so shouldn't I, a Horsemen of honor, helped you as well? Besides, I don't want you to die, lest I feel guilty again about letting someone whom I have respected or care die." Death ignored Chris and Alito's protest as he cut himself on his left index finger and medicated the duo with the Blood from himself - The Blood of the Nephillim._

_"What...are you doing, Pale Rider?" Alito winced._

_"The Nephilim as a whole can restore Humanity...so several drips of blood could help restore a fatally injured person. Just stay still, for Pete sake." Death frowned._

Chris and Alito's body started to glow softly as their augmentations began registering the Nephilim blood...

_**System detecting high healing properties for Nephilim Blood.**_

_**Nephilim Blood merging with mechanical augmentations.**_

_**Nephilim Blood merging with arcane energy.**_

_**Nephilim Blood merging with Weaponry Systems.**_

_**Nephilim Blood merging with muscular, skeletal, respiratory, and circulatory systems.**_

_**Recovery from current condition - six hours.**_

"Rest well, Chris and Alito. By the time you have recovered, I will probably be able to get the Demon Key. You need all you can to defeat Absalom..." Death instructed.

"Death..." Chris spoke softly.

The Pale Rider stopped on his track without turning his head.

"Thanks..." Chris replied weakly.

"No...I should thank you." Death replied.

"Huh?" Chris wondered.

"I wouldn't have cared about my allies if they are not my kind. But I guess my respect for you has taught me about respecting an ally, no matter their races...Guess not all humans are bad after all..." Death nodded.

Chris was about to reply when Death raised his right hand back, signalling Chris to stop talking.

"Don't think about why for now. Just concentrate on finding the solace you and Alito desire and I'm sure those answers will come eventually, like what the Crowfather said." Death replied.

Death walked away, leaving Chris and Alito lying on the floor slowly slipping into a deep sleep as their bodies grew accustomed to the medication given to them.

_Thanks, Chris..._

_You have given me more reasons to respect humans now._

_You might not see it...but you are more human than yourself could have imagined._


	35. The Lost Soul

_**Phase V: The Beginning of The End - Lilith, Samael, and Lucifer!**_

_**Author: Nagisa Motomiya AKA Acchan the 14th**_

_**Co-Author: Every NO NAME members - Kanata Shinonome, Sonata Shinonome, Mimori Kishida, Makoto Yokomizo, Suzuko Kanzaki, Orine Aida, Chieri Sono **_

_**Illustrator: Katagiri Atsuko, Hikari Kimishima, Mayu Watanabe Type III**_

_**Chapter 35: The Lost Soul**_

_**Six Hours later...**_

_"Systems rebooting..."_

_"OS Systems online..."_

_"Configurating new powers and arcane abilities..."_

_"Combat systems online..."_

_"Augmentations booting up..."_

"Uhhh..." Chris moaned and rubbed her forehead as she woke up while sitting straight, feeling a rush of blood on her head.

"I see you have woken up."

"C...Crowfather?" Chris looked beside her and saw the crooked figure near the Tree of Life.

"Where...where is Death?" Chris wondered.

"He should be in the Black Stone, the palace where Samael lives." the Crowfather replied.

"I see..." Chris sighed.

"What you did there from the Spire's peak, is an example of how you are getting there..." the Crowfather nodded.

"What do you mean? Do you mean...getting to grips with myself?" Chris wondered.

"You are willing to calm down and know what you want - to protect the innocent beings of your world from Corruption, and to spare Death's brother, War, from punishment. Plus, you have someone who can carry the responsibility with you too. That is what I meant." the Crowfather replied.

Chris looked at the Dagger's hilt sticking out of the pocket and sighed.

"Be it my fault or not, finding the meaning of humanity, and other questions, I can't simply derail myself from finding solace. Thanks...Crowfather." Chris nodded.

"But...I thought Alito and I are dead..." Chris continued.

"The Blood of the Nephilim can cure a person's wound, even when near death. That is why the Nephilims have a special ability to revive any species provided they sacrificed themselves at the Well of Souls." the Crowfather explained.

"I see...we will get ready for our trip to the Black Stone then. Death should have gotten far by now." Chris nodded.

"Tread lightly, Ice Maiden, there is nought that way but shadow. But as long as you believe in yourself and the one who followed you loyally...you will find the answers naturally in the times to come." the Crowfather reminded.

Chris nodded.

_**After Alito woke up**_

"Thank goodness we're not dead." Alito sighed in relief.

"The Nephilim Blood seems to heal us completely from the fatal wounds inflicted upon earlier...and I can feel...much stronger than before." Chris remarked.

"Really? You felt that too, my Lady?" Alito wondered.

Chris summoned a powerful ice energy flaring up above her palm.

"The ice energy...it seemed to have a brighter intensity; a sign of stronger arcane powers..." Chris replied.

"I can run faster too!" Alito exclaimed as she zipped from one end of the stage to another.

"I wonder what other aspects of my powers have improved with the Nephilim Blood healing...Guess we have to discover it as we move along." Chris clenched her fists as it glowed blue.

Just then, they saw Nathaniel passing along.

"Nathaniel...we're sorry that the Archon..." Chris sighed.

"I know...we have no other choice. Pride often comes before a fall, but we will feel great loss for our leader. There's nothing to be sorry about, though..." Nathaniel dismissed.

"Has the Rod of Arafel entered safekeeping?" Alito wondered.

"Yes. But would you mind if I requested something from the both of you?" Nathaniel wondered.

"Sure...we will be happy to help. Going to the Black Stone can wait, so long as Death gets the Demon Key, all is well." Chris nodded.

"Thank you. This matter a lot to me, for it concerns my old friend. You will have to head to the Land of the Dead for that matter, though." Nathaniel gave Chris a scroll wrapped around a red ribbon with the Seal of the White City.

"What is the relation between you and the land of corpses?" Chris wondered.

"When a person dies, their soul will pass through the undead court. So take this, in hopes that they may find the answers." the Hellguard continued.

"Right!" the two Maidens nodded.

_**Upon reaching the Undead Court**_

"Ah...Chris and Alito! It's so nice to see you maidens again." Draven grinned.

"We are more than happy to see that the City of the Dead has been stabilized since the Dead King's demise. How are the Four Lords, by the way?" Chris wondered.

"Are you seeking our aid?" Basileus descended from the Eternal Throne's second level.

Adjudicator, Soul Arbiter, and Phariseer followed soon after.

"The Four Pillars of Argul!" Chris simpered.

_**After looking through the Scrolls and consulting the Book of the Dead...**_

"The soul never passed through this Kingdom." Adjudicator shook his head.

"Wha? But...how?" Alito wondered.

"This language was written in Ancient Enochian, the language of Ancient Demons and Angels. We consulted the souls of the Hellguards and demons that have died and came here, but none claimed to have the name as written in the scroll; they do not know how it is pronounced, although they know the language." Phariseer explained.

"Hmm..."Who could it be then?" Chris wondered.

_**Ivory Citadel**_

"Nathaniel...the Dead Lords said that the soul you have sought has never pass through the land of corpses." Chris reported.

"But...if he yet lives - No! I dare not inform my fellow angels until I have the full truth!" Nathaniel frowned.

"What is it that you're afraid to inform?" Alito wondered.

"Please, respect my secrecy for the moment until I investigate it thoroughly." the Hellguard hoped.

Chris and Alito looked at each other and nodded. _"Right...the truth will be spilled out anyway."_

"Among the Makers of the Forge Lands is a blind Seer of great power. Go to her, Chris and Alito - she will know what has become of one who was dead, yet lives." Nathaniel explained.

"You mean Muria? How will she know?" Chris wondered.

"She sees much as well. Do not for once believe that she cannot see much just because she is blind. Her magic sight allowed her to see far, and her knowledge expands far beyond the world of makers." Nathaniel explained.

"Right..." Chris and Alito nodded.

_**The Forge Lands**_

"Chris and Alito! It is a relief to see the both of you once more!" Alya gave the two maiden a big hug.

"Alya! How's the Makers' Forge?" Chris simpered.

"We're still rebuilding. It sure is hard work but I know it will be worth the patience! Say, what are you here for?" Alya simpered.

"We're looking for Muria. She might tell us all there is about this scroll that one of the Hellguard gave us." Alito replied.

"You're in luck; she has just gotten back from one of her rare strolls out of Tri-Stone. There she is!" Alya simpered, just as the white hair shaman approached the two Maidens with a soft smile.

"Muria..." Chris and Alito greeted with a bow.

"Chris and Alito...I see that your mind have become clearer as you attempt to seek solace. That is a relief." Muria simpered.

"Well, we can't just sit or stand there moping around like bigoted morons, right?" Alito chuckled.

"Besides...that's not why we came here today. We came here on request of serving the Light." Chris brought out Nathaniel's scroll.

Muria 'looked' over the scrolls with her arcane eyes covered within the blue shawl and frowned.

"This soul - it still lives. But it has changed."

"You know the language called Ancient Enochian?" Chris wondered.

"Yes...I have learnt them since my young days. In the angel tongue, it is called Vovin. Dragon." Muria replied.

"The demons? What do they call it?" Alito wondered.

"They call him Lord..." Muria frowned.

"Nathaniel told us that scroll has a name of an old friend of his...That friend must have been on the Hellguard before...He joined the Dark Legion?" Chris's eyes wondered.

"So it would appear. Creator help us..." Muria shook her head.

Chris and Alito looked at each other and frowned in concern; they did not like the tone of this.

"You mean...we're in trouble?" Chris frowned.

"No...Corruption is still far more fearsome. The problems are more on dishonor and responsible for summoning the Chosen. I might say though...this is not the first time a Hellguard become a demon army's ally." Muria replied.

"Who?" Chris wondered.

"A female angel by the name of Raciel. She once used to serve under Hadrimon before the Four Horsemen's creation. Both of them are lovers, but Hadrimon reported the illegal romance since he felt guilty about it. As a result of disobedience, Raciel was banished to Hell and became twisted into a Lost Angel." Muria explained, and then frowned.

"Then again...seven angels that have illegal romance before the Horsemen's creation became demonic Lost Angels. The Four killed them to maintain the Balance at some point or another." she continued.

Chris frowned as her mind wander about what Uriel told her about Abaddon...

The Maiden of Ice knew, back in her world, that Abaddon was the Angel of Destruction in Hebrew myths.

Chris looked at Alito and nodded; they seem to have the same question.

_**Back at the Ivory Citadel...**_

"Well? What have you learned?" Nathaniel wondered.

"Your friend...serves the shadow." Chris frowned.

Nathaniel's eyes widened; Chris could see the shock and fear on the Hellguard by his accelerated heart rate, pulses, and adrenalin increase - not a surprise though, she thought.

"Then the Archon's vision...the Hellguard..." Nathaniel backed off for a few seconds and nearly tripped off a gap; were it not for Chris and Alito catching the Hellguard's back.

"You have done well in serving the Light, Chris and Alito. But you must leave me...I must...consider what to do next." Nathaniel shook his head as he gave him a blade-like spear with scales upon its body.

"No...We would rather not accept the reward of yours; it will mean that we laugh at your misfortune." Chris frowned.

Nathaniel's eyes widened. "This is the first time I have seen a warrior rejecting a reward...but a noble one nonetheless..."

"Trust us; nothing gets us more than people who laughed at other people's misfortunes..." Alito frowned.

"But...you haven't told us who it was you sought." Chris wondered in worry.

"Do you know Abaddon?" Nathaniel asked.

"In Hebrew myths back in my world, he is known as The Angel of Destruction. You mean..." Chris frowned.

"Yes...it is him. But he has taken another name, one cursed on Earth. During your journey on Earth to seek the Rod of Arafel...you have heard the remaining Hellguard mention this name, but have no knowledge that he is Abaddon." Nathaniel shook his head.

Chris and Alito's eyes widened...only one name, one title comes to mind...

"You mean...?" Chris and Alito replied.

Nathaniel nodded...

**"Destroyer**..."

_**Pathway to the Tree of Life**_

"So...Abaddon is the Destroyer; the one they called Vovin. Who would have known - Uriel's unrequited love...dishonored his kind..." Chris clenched her fists.

"How should we break this news to Uriel?" Alito wondered, shaking her head.

_***BEEP!*BEEP!***_

"It's Uriel at the communicator..." Chris frowned.

Chris and Alito answered the call.

_"Chris...Alito..." _Uriel sounded between anger and sorrow.

"Uriel...You sound like..." Chris asked in concern.

_"Abaddon..."_ Uriel frowned.

"You mean...you know?" Alito widened her eyes.

Uriel looked down, hesitated, and replied, _"Yes...War told me about the truth he received in the Tree of Knowledge - an artifact sworn by truth."_

Chris and Alito looked at each other, then back at Uriel through the communicator screen.

"So...what are you planning to do?" Chris wondered.

_"I never knew...I never knew that the one whom I love...ends up being a person blinded by his own pride, instead of honoring his own duty as the Supreme Commander of the Hellguards. I once respected, admired, and loved him for the service he placed for the Hellguards; I thought he is honorable and that he wanted to rid Hell only because he cared for the civilians on Earth. Never to know he ended up becoming a betrayer...I'm such a fool..." _Uriel hung her head down, trying her best to swallow the angry tears welling inside her eyes.

She continued, _"He took advantage of my feelings all along...and think they are just playthings to begin with..."_

"I'm deeply saddened that this...this event has to happen..." Chris shook her head.

"No...A lesson learnt in life, I suppose...That betrayer will reap for what he had sown..." Uriel frowned.

"Good luck...Uriel of the Hellguard..." Chris and Alito nodded.

_"Thank you...just speaking my mind seems to clear it out for me...you take care too. And destroy Corruption for us..." _Uriel nodded.

"We will, Uriel!"

_**Right teleporter marked by devil horns on the poles near the portal.**_

"This is it...we're going to help Death..." Chris frowned.

"After this...we're going in..." Alito nodded.

Chris and Alito stepped into the portal.

"Let's go!"

_**Shadow's Edge**_

Chris and Alito came out of the portal, just in time to see Death come out from the right side of the Portal.

"Wait...what? Death? What took you at least seven hours?" Chris's eyes widened.

"Let's just say while I travelled to and fro the Tree of Life to here, I ran into a dimensional void created by Corruption - called the Abyssal Forge. I have to take it out...or else it will threaten the Balance, and I will never get to Shadow's Edge too." Death replied.

"Right...never mind that. Let's get to the Crowfather. He's waiting for us."

The sagely figure stood just ten meters between the Tree of Death and the Crowfather.

"Death? What happened?" Crowfather wondered.

"Abyssal Forge - Corruption caused the Rift and I have to get my way out of here." Death summarized.

"Seems that Corruption is getting worse by the minute; you have to find War soon. Go as the Crow flies...or your brother is lost!" the Crowfather frowned.

Chris scanned the surroundings...it look every bit as similar as the ones they found on Lostlight - tall palace, bumpy roads, flights of stairs, cloudy atmosphere, and statues placed across the corridors.

Except that the statues used were horned demons - Pit Sorrows - instead of Hellguards. The tall buildings have crooked, scaly demon horns. Rocks instead of arches were used in the pathways leading to the palace itself.

Upon the far end of the skies lies a black hole, sucking everything into the endless abyss itself.

"Scan shows that it is similar to that of Lostlight...What is it really?" Chris wondered.

"As well it should. This is the dark reflection of the Crystal Spire. It is a realm where demons, rather than angels, keep watch. But Corruption turned their gaze inward and what they saw there, destroyed them." the Crowfather explained.

"What of the Key?" Death wondered.

"It remains within - bound by a powerful master. You know of Samael...yes?" the Old One replied.

"Tell us more about Samael..." Chris wondered.

"He is known as the Red Wanderer, the Blood Prince, and the Lord of the Black Stone. Samael's power match up to even that of the Devil himself, the one they called Lucifer. In his full power, the Blood Prince is capable of being as strong as that of the Four Horsemen when they ride with the Seven Seals broken. He is a smart and cunning person, with omnipotence, and with a secret agenda to boot...However, he thought that agenda is 'secret' enough to escape my eyes..." the Crowfather snickered.

"I know he has a mysterious agenda...but the Four have not known it for eons...What is it?" Death frowned.

The Crowfather called Death, Chris, and Alito to huddle around as he whispered what Samael is planning all along.

_**Minutes later**_

"So he is biding his time? Surely it couldn't be that simple?" Death doubted.

"That's what he wants you to think. Remember, I lived in a time shortly before Samael is born; everything he knows...I know better. He loves to play mind games; by making you think he has ulterior motives...he constantly makes people guess the things he is about to do. With no definite course of action, he can succeed in attacking where it hurts most - fear and doubt." the Crowfather nodded.

"But even if his plans don't work...his powers..." Chris asked in doubt too.

"Solace...Chris. It is what you used in defeating Archon Lucien." the Crowfather simpered.

"Lostlight's opposite is Shadow's Edge, Hellguards opposite is Demon Generals, and you mean Lucien is the opposite of Samael, right?" Chris shot out.

"Yes. Lucien is as powerful as that of Azrael and Abaddon themselves. He dare not rebel, however, because he still has a sense of pride before his Corruption. Samael, however, wasn't afraid to rebel and be cunning, as all demons do. That is the only difference; otherwise, they are very similar. Samael's personality and being mysterious is part of his cunning, though anyone knowing Samael more - I - could see that he is putting on a facade. A brilliant facade that few people knows, but a facade nonetheless." the Crowfather stated.

"Yet...we mustn't count our chickens before they hatch...if his plan is still simple, his combat strategy certainly isn't." Death frowned.

"Of that you can be certain. Pride comes before a fall...that is why Solace is the most important. Without it, your aim will never be achieved. Chris and Alito, you have come thus far and you are getting there. As for Death...Corruption lies ahead, and Samael awaits. But mind if I say...don't counter his plans yet." the Crowfather nodded.

"Why?" Death wondered.

"Don't you want to rescue your brother?" the Crowfather replied.

"Right..." Death nodded.

"Go as the Crow flies...or your brother is lost!"

"Right away!" the trio nodded.

Along the way to the palace, they met their eyes on a familiar goat figure.

"Welcome to the Dark Kingdom, Horseman and the followers." he bowed.

"Ostegoth...If you're following me..." Death frowned, suspecting the merchant to be of a demonic descent.

"Nothing of the sort. I've come to part demons from their coins, you, from their souls - and you two, from their murdering tendencies. Are we so different?" Ostegoth chuckled.

"You could be right, but now it's not for that matter; we're looking for a key." Death frowned.

"But of course. Samael keeps many wonders, in the vaults beneath the Black Stone. I have come to trade, for what few he would part with. But I fear not all is well in the Red Court. Samael would never let his realm slide so far into nothingness." Ostegoth sighed.

"Or that's what he would have you believed." Chris shrugged.

"Pardon?" Ostegoth wondered.

"Nothing...I heard that it's dangerous, right?" Chris wondered.

"Of course! Beware of what you find on Samael's throne. And whom...Rurmors are all that escape the vortex. Of a Mad Queen Lilith, who still clings to rule..." Ostegoth warned.

"Lilith...huh?" Death frowned.

"I've heard of this place - The Black Stone. Years before the premature Apocalypse, Fury, Strife, War, and I went forth to deliver a message about keeping the peace between Heaven and Hell." Death frowned.

"Yes, the throne of Samael - the Blood Prince - the Red Wanderer - he has many names, yet one home." Ostegoth replied.

"Not much left. No prizes about who is responsible..." Alito shrugged.

"Corruption devours the Black Stone as it has countless worlds, as it will the Forge lands, the Undead Plains - even Earth." Ostegoth nodded.

"When will it end?" Chris wondered.

"Anyway to end it?"

"The end of everything..." Ostegoth replied.

"Is there any ways to destroy it?" Chris wondered.

"We don't. Your precious balance only serves to stay its hand..." Ostegoth replied.

"Balance? You call this Balance? So you mean the innocent beings are destined to be killed all because of 'Balance', when Corruption is literally kicking everyone left, right, up, down, and center? There are other ways to achieve balance and not through..." Chris snapped.

"But what do I know...I am but a simple merchant..." Ostegoth smirked.

Chris at once snapped back; Ostegoth was testing them...

"I can see the potential inside you, Chris...and your confidante as well. Believe me...you will reach 'em soon enough." Ostegoth smiled.

_"Ostegoth simply is a knowledgeable, yet a humble merchant...Very few people could earn to have morality as high as his. Guess I wronged him for saying that he accepts fate regarding Corruption." _Chris sighed.

_**On the way to the Black Throne**_

"So Abaddon is the Destroyer?" Death frowned.

"You're not surprised that has happened, huh?" Chris wondered.

"Not at all...he's the least bit of my worries. I am just wondering, of all the fallen angels that I have met over the eons, who would have known that Abaddon will end up being the Unlucky One." Death grunted.

"He's in it for himself...He even betrayed Uriel just to save his face...Pride is his downfall." Alito sighed.

"War is also on Earth to redeem himself?" Death frowned.

"No...we shouldn't go help him...yet. Uriel told us that when she fought War, there is a snarky spirit by the name of the Watcher. She also told us that the Watcher has affiliation with the Charred Council; if we ever help him, that small imp will know that we are on an unsanctioned mission and we will die." Chris shook her head.

"Damn...the Watchers...unless we have the Seven Seals, the Watcher can have power over us." Death frowned.

"We get the Demon Key, prove War's innocence, and free War from the Watcher's influence." Chris frowned.

"No time to waste then..." Death frowned.

_**Shortly after reaching the second level of the Black Throne**_

Many ribbed devil horns, sharp teethes, and scaly layers decorated the rooms. Pillars of spikes, teethes and claws stood planted upon its ground. The clouds were grey and the skies were scorched red.

Three arches with horned demons on the top stood rooted in front of them as well as a pool of green and red lava.

Chris, Alito, and Death frowned as they felt tremors rippling the ground.

The trio lost balance but managed to get back on their feet, just in time to hear two grunted, demonic voices from behind their backs; Demon Generals charging towards them.

Alito transformed into Lifebane as Chris's eyes glowed and kicked the demon general into the door where the trio entered.

Chris then quickly teleports over to the Demon, unleashed flurry of ice-imbued slashes from multiple directions, plunged Lifebane on the Demon's chest, and with a shout, ripped the demon in two!

Death transformed into his Reaper Form, clashed his Harvestor with the demon's axe, deflected it, and sliced the demon in half.

"It seems the healing effect has done well." Death watched on in amusement.

"Well...it seems that my abilities and processing units has been further tweaked thanks to the Nephilim Blood. It must be the healing at work...thanks, though." Chris simpered.

"Who could have given us such a welcome party?" Alito frowned.

"I know who those demons belonged to..." Death frowned as he turned around to face the pool. "You can come out now...Lilith!"

A succubus with devil horns on her head, green eyes, and ashen skin walked out of the pool of lava in a sultry fashion. She wore almost a black and gold dress with midriffs baring her belly button, two greaves with sharp teethes as her knee guard, and black-gold shoulder pads.

The curves and cloth wrapped sensually around her flesh, flowing off her hip foxily. Chains wrapped around her back extended all the way through her hip area and down in between her legs.

Her wings are upside down, just like Belial, only larger.

"Lilith..." Death frowned.


	36. Battling the Creator of Corruption!

_**Chapter 36: Battling the Creator of Corruption - show her the Nephilim Blood's upgrade! **_

_**Last time on Darksiders: Frozen Assets**_

_**"Who could have given us such a welcome party?" Alito frowned.**_

_**"I know who those demons belonged to..." Death frowned as he turned around to face the pool. "You can come out now...Lilith!"**_

_**A succubus with devil horns on her head, green eyes, and ashen skin walked out of the pool of lava in a sultry fashion. She wore almost a black and gold dress with midriffs baring her belly button, two greaves with sharp teethes as her knee guard, and black-gold shoulder pads.**_

_**The curves and cloth wrapped sensually around her flesh, flowing off her hip foxily. Chains wrapped around her back extended all the way through her hip area and down in between her legs.**_

_**Her wings are upside down, just like Belial, only larger.**_

_**"Lilith..." Death frowned.**_

"Do you blame me for hiding?" Lilith chuckled. "You are Death. Where you ride, no one is safe, and not even your mother."

She continued, "And I suppose you two are the followers from Death; you don't look like you're from this world."

Both Chris and Alito's pupils shrunk in shock, although they quickly regained her composure seconds later and began scanning through Lilith's stats.

"So...you created the Nephilim?" Chris frowned.

"You are not...my mother..." Death snarled.

Lilith approached Death, cupped her face with her right hand, and Death slapped it away.

"Of course I do. Did I not create Absalom from the mingled dust of Angel and Demon? And from that first Nephilim, were not the rest formed?" Lilith frowned. "They were brothers to the Horsemen. Yet when the Riders slaughtered the Nephilim, only you showed remorse."

Chris and Alito stood quietly, suspecting there might be something related to Corruption, Absalom, and Lilith, although they knew that evidence must be at hand first...

Lilith looked at the Amulet fragments embedded upon Death's right chest.

"Why did you not cast the Amulet into the Abyss, as the Council ordered? Why spare their souls...if not to one day undo your sin?" Lilith smirked as she walked away.

"My sin?!" Death raised his voice in anger, his veins bulged through his temple and gauntlets, and his eyes flared orange with anger.

"This Corruption rises in Absalom! It rises from him like a black tide and you, 'Mother'," Death snarled as he pointed at Lilith, "must help me stop it! Where is the Demon Key?!"

Lilith gave a sly chuckle. "In Samael's keeping. But he is gone now, and the key has vanished.

Death looked down, shaking his head. Without the Demon Key, his brother would be lost...forever.

Chris and Alito, however, accessed Lilith's personality bank through heir improved Project Tundra's Arcane Social Enhancer Device and knew that Lilith had plans in mind.

_"No thanks to her sly and wicked ways..."_ Chris frowned.

True to Chris and Alito's deduction, it did.

Death's right hand, where the Phasewalker resides, glowed bright blue and the Portal gun came out from it.

"Oh, don't worry, my child." Lilith smirked as she spoke in a mysterious, yet cunning manner; her hands crackling with arcane magic as she received the Phasewalker.

Chris's system began to beep inside Chris's HUD monitor her systems began analysing Lilith's energy signature.

Within seconds, Chris's eyes widened once more, but she gave a small smirk after.

_"So...it finally comes to this...Then again, why am I not surprised?"_

Alito too, gave a small nod - she knew about it too.

Lilith, not paying attention to what the two Maidens were thinking as she thought it was not well worth her time, transformed the Phasewalker into a Voidwalker. The Portal gun turned green, with the symbol of a clock upon its center.

"Time, like sin, may be undone." Lilith calmly spoke as she returned the green Portal gun to Death. "With this, you and your worthless followers can return to the past, to Samael's stronghold before his fall...and find the Demon Key."

Death looked at Chris and Alito as the two Maidens nodded.

"I only ask that when you and those followers reach the Well of Souls, you will answer your heart...and resurrect the Nephilims." Lilith smirked just as Death received the Voidwalker.

Death could feel the strong arcane magic that belonged to Lilith, but could also feel that the magic's energy signature felt similar to one black element...

Wanting to find out Lilith's aim, Death contained his anger by clenching his fists.

"So what brings you here...?" Death frowned.

"I was drawn to raw power...and no demon in any realm can match that of Samael. He could have ruled over us all. But now he is gone...and that destiny once again falls to my children. Bring back the Nephilims, and all of creation will be yours." Lilith smirked.

"At the cost of Balance, I suppose?" Chris and Alito stood beside Death.

Lilith's smirk faded. "What?"

Chris smirked, lowered her head, and began laughing loudly and clapped her hands.

"Bravo...Bravo! Lilith...you think your appearance can scare us, eh? Might I remind you that I have faced beings that are as strong as you, during my time as an adventurer since the age of 18 while honing the Project Programmes, and defeated them thanks to my abilities learned across the way?" Chris clapped.

"What is this? You're not scared of me?" Lilith frowned.

"Shall we...?" Chris looked at Death and Alito, nodded, and faced the Mad Queen.

"The Creator of Corruption - Lilith!"

Lilith's eyes widened as cold sweat broke into her once smooth face. Her smirk broke down into shock and disbelief.

"We have come across Corruption many times during our journey here; our Project Programmes systems isolated them for further investigations. You might ask why we are not affected...That is because Alito and I have overcome the Corruption in our dreams. I'm sure though you will not understand, but I digress." Chris showed a hologram of the results.

She continued, "Inside the Corruption there lays three energy signatures...One is the obvious, hate. Another became clear when Death medicated us with the Nephilim's Blood - the Nephilims themselves - since our systems isolated the blood and matched its biological signature to that of Corruption. The third and last compound has strong arcane magic that brings both Hate and the Nephilims' Blood to life. We do not know what it was, until our systems detected the same arcane energy signatures in you that were also present in Corruption!" Chris smirked as she and Alito pointed the finger at Lilith.

"Making you the Culprit!" Chris and Alito shot out.

"Don't think I'm ignorant to this...'Mother'...I am immune to Corruption's influence, thus I can detect an unusual arcane energy inside Corruption. I even felt that same arcane energy inside you moments after Chris and Alito found out!" Death clenched his fists.

Lilith looked at the three in shock while Alito stepped forth and continued.

"We all know that someone who knows the Nephilims evoke that 'Hate', so that it could be brought to life. You encouraged Absalom, and incited him into a rampage that helped him rallied the other Nephilims to rebel against Creation! You used black magic and reanimate Absalom's pure hate into Corruption when he dies." Alito crossed her arms and continued.

"You know that one day Death - who killed Absalom - will feel guilty for the mess he created! You know that the Well of Souls is the only way as a Nephilim's blood can restore the whole race. Thus, you devised a plan that would bring Death and the Well of Souls together...so how did you do it?" Alito looked at Chris and nodded.

"You looked for an opportunity, a chance to strike. That chance came when War was tricked into triggering the Apocalypse prematurely, no thanks to Abaddon breaking the six seals. You sent Straga to kill Abaddon, persuaded the Angel of Destruction to become the Destroyer in pretext that the Council will punish him, and commanded him to wipe off the entire Human Race! That caused War to be accused for Mankind's extinction, which in turn caused Death to search for ways to restore humankind. The Well of Souls requires the Angel and Demon Key, so you came here to encourage the Pale Rider in reviving the Nephilims instead of Humanity!" Chris frowned.

"W...What? How did you know about...about the Destroyer?" Lilith's eyes widened.

Chris presented two sound clips in a hologram.

"On my left is a sound clip taken when you're talking. After helping Nathaniel, Alito and I went to the Portal to Earth to ask if it knew who was responsible for Abaddon's defection. All we got is the sound clip on my right. According to the systems' analysis it turns out those two sound clips match!" Chris smirked as she showed Lilith the hologram of what happened earlier.

_**Flashback - After helping Nathaniel**_

_"Someone must have tempted Abaddon to join the Legion of Demons. He could not have possibly joined the demons voluntarily..." Nathaniel shook his head._

_"The Portal to Earth! We can ask the portal at the peak of the Spire about whose the perpetrator, right?" Alito shot out._

_"Yes, the Pool knows all...but knowing it won't make much difference..." Nathaniel sighed._

_"Well, we got nothing to lose, right?" Chris frowned._

_"If you so please." Nathaniel nodded._

_Upon reaching the peak of the Spire, Chris and Alito approached the Pool leading to Earth._

_"O Sacred Pool of the Crystal Spire, your grand knowledge knows all...Please kindly tell us the one's responsible for Abaddon's defection." Chris and Alito spoke calmly._

_As they gazed into the Pool, Chris and Alito saw Abaddon fighting against a legion of demons when a large hand grabbed the Angel of Destruction and crushed him to death._

_The Maiden also saw War saying the Demon's name as 'Straga'._

_The Pool quickly cuts to black as Abaddon plummeted into a black void, where a sly female laughter echoed the darkness._

_"They knew...how did they...?" Abaddon spoke in disbelief._

_"The best laid plans..." or so the humans used to say." the echoes grew louder._

_"You...did this...?" Abaddon frowned as he took up his sword._

_"You plotted and schemed to call us to this world. I simply took advantage of your initiative." the echoes replied._

_"No..." Abaddon fell to his knees, shaking his head in despair._

_"I will consider this an offering Abaddon - and you, my loyal servant. Join me, and take up the mantle of the Destroyer!" the echo encouraged._

_"NO..." Abaddon snarled._

_"Once the Throne learns what you've done, you will be cast down. Dragged in chains before the Council. You're already damned. So, I offer you this choice...Would you serve in Heaven? Or rule in hell?" the echo replied._

_A huge surge of arcane energy imbued the Angel of Destruction and transformed him to a large scaly dragon with red skin, four devil-like horns, big jaws and teethes, and two big dragon wings. He had a long, reptilian tail behind his back._

_The Destroyer was born..._

_"Now, return to Azreal. Persuade him to help us. Then...together, we will change the face of the universe. Muahahaha..." the echo cackled._

_**Flashback end**_

Death summarized. "So you incited Absalom with hate, reanimate his corpse with black magic into Corruption, wait for the premature Apocalypse to defect Abaddon into destroying Humanity, and wait for me to eventually figure out that the Well of Souls is humanity's last hope just so you can persuade me to resurrect the Nephilims using my guilt! My unfounded guilt!" Death frowned.

Knowing she had nothing to lose, Lilith clenched her fists as a powerful dark aura surrounded her curvaceous body. Her eyes no longer green, but an intense red. Her horns grew longer, and veins bulged out of her temple.

"So...you figured out my plans in advance...Lucifer had told me to persuade you and kill anyone should the truth about my eon-long plans is revealed. I am sad that I have to kill you...my son...No one will escape here alive!" Lilith materialised a long staff with two long horns and a crimson orb settled in between the horns. Its hilt has ribbed devil horns and spirals of scales covering the handle.

Lilith surrounded herself with black magic as she morphed her pair of wings into larger wings dripping with blood and darkness. Its wings were filled with scales, veins, and spikes traversing down it.

Her horns became very long and as curvy as a ram's horn. Her eyes glowed red as spikes grew out from the edges of her armor, and bat wings decorated her armor pieces. Two halo-like red rings surrounded Lilith in a formation similar to a neutron shell.

"No one... can bother in escaping here ALIVE! I will kill you, Death, and use your blood to restore the Nephilims back to life!" Lilith roared as a burst of dark magic threatened to lose the Trio's balance.

"This is it...one of the Three Major Demons of Hell...You ready, Chris and Alito?" Death frowned.

"I thought you will hesitate in killing your 'mother'?" Chris wondered.

"If she's willing to do this sort of despicable crap...she's not my mother! Not by any means! No mother would ever do that kind of despicable stuff...or else she is not a true mother at all!" Death's eyes glowed as she took out his Dual Possessed Scythe.

Chris scanned through Lilith.

_**Morphology: Lilith (Dominatrix Form)**_

_**Race: Demon Lord**_

_**Known as: The Bride of Lucifer, The Demon Queen, Mother of Monsters, The Mad Queen.**_

_**Element: All**_

_**Description: Known as the Mad Queen - a being of supreme Arcane Power, this foe knows all elemental attacks. Her signature ability - The Elemento Barrier, represented by the Halo's s around her changes colors corresponding to her element she will be.**_

_**Blue - Ice**_

_**Red - Fire**_

_**Yellow - Lightning**_

_**Purple - Darkness**_

_**Be warned, if you attack her with specific elements when Lilith is at the same color as your attacking elements, she can recover!**_

_**However, once The Mad Queen changes to an element, she will need three minutes to change element again. The arcane magic will spike up to a high level when she changes an element. HUD will provide warnings about when.**_

_**A being of extraordinary power, physical and magical, she can pulverized foes if not paid close attention well enough. Her teleportation is quick and her projectiles are strong.**_

_**Your systems might have been upgraded thanks to the Arcane Orb the Four Dead Lords imbued you with, and the Nephilim Blood medication, but she will be no easy foe, watch out - she is not called the Dominatrix Form for nothing.**_

"Alito!"

"Always ready, my Lady!"

A huge burst of icicle energy crackled around Chrism its intense pressure cracked the horned pillars and blew off the candles that decorated the room.

"Chris, ready?" Death nodded.

"Let's rock her world alight!" Chris shot out as they charged into the fray, with Lilith's Dominatrix Form charging towards them too.

Lilith changed her halos to blue, which prompted Chris to deactivate her icicle element and switch to normal arcane element.

_**Elemental Switch: Normal**_

The Mad Queen held her staff with both hands and summoned forth a sacred circle with a star symbol at the center.

_"Etherion!"_

Chris and Death saw a huge circle appearing beneath as huge barrage of ice burst forth.

Chris crossed her arms as she predicted Lilith's elemental attack would be ice.

_"Tranquillity Orb - Ice Resist!"_

Six orbs formed around Chris's body as they build up her already supreme resistance to ice attacks. The icicle shots struck Chris, but the icy Maiden still charged forth, shocking Lilith.

"What?" Lilith gasped. The Mad Queen thought she could dish some damage to Chris despite being an Ice element, as the former could absorb ice and heal herself.

Chris sensed an open window and kicked the Mad Queen in the kisser, unleashing a blast of bright arcane energy in the process and throwing Lilith into the far end of a wall.

Chris looked at both her palms crackling with white energy.

_"So this is a part of the upgrade when the Nephilim Blood healed me from my heavy injuries...Elemental orbs to build resistance...Since I'm already resistant to ice, using the Ice Orb will cause me to develop complete immunity to it!"_

_**Warning: The Orbs will be active for three minutes top and is unstackable with other elemental orbs.**_

_"Shit...that means I have to be careful about what elements to switch into." _Chris frowned.

Death successfully fought through the icicle shards with his acrobatic stunts, and unleashed Harvestor Revenge straight at the Mad Queen, who teleported promptly.

Lilith appeared a few strides behind them and charged up energy from her staff.

Chris's enhanced Cochlear Augmentations and Project Tundra's HUD picked up the rush of energy behind them. Death's hair also raised up as he turned around and saw Lilith preparing for her attack.

Lilith's Dominatrix spread her wings as two more orbs appeared on her left and right side each.

_"With the knowledge of the Demon Realm, suffer for your Impotence! ETHER BURST!"_

Lilith screamed as she unleashed the orbs straight at Death and Chris, covering the battlefield in a blinding light. Six burst of icicle-imbued ether burst through the battlefield, striking Death and Chris.

"Now I will deal with you...pesky Ice Maiden...what?"

Lilith thought that Death was defeated and only Chris was left. However, Death quickly moved behind the Mad Queen and took out a huge hammer with a large blunt, a spike on its hilt, and a spiky claw.

Before Lilith could react in shock, Death quickly charged up his fiery hammer, swung it, and sent the Mad Queen crashing to the same spot where she crashed on again!

Fire set ablaze Lilith's body, armor, and her Elemento barrier; fire being her weakness in Blue Mode. Scars and burns scathed her once seductive body, angering the temptress herself.

"You...bastard, how dare you hurt your one and only mother!" Lilith snarled in disbelief.

"Heh...the Mad Smith gave it to me when I helped him defeat the Abyssal Forge...surprised now?" Death frowned.

Chris scanned through the new weapon Death acquired.

_**Weapon Data: Abyssal Forge Hammer**_

_**Description: The Mad Smith is an ancient Undead Maker that was banished into the Shadow Lands, a realm between the Trees of Life and Death, because of his creation of a construct using the Abyss's dark energy. The mad Smith used this hammer to build the construct. Imbued with dark energy, the hammer can shatter even the thickest armor and set all it touches ablaze.**_

"How are you not damaged?" Lilith frowned.

"Heh...the orbs' ability in lending support to allies as well!" Chris smirked.

"You will pay for what you have done!" Lilith's Dominatrix Form concentrated her attack as streams of energy covered her Elemento Barrier, turning it red.

_**Elemento Mode - Fire**_

_**Lilith will absorb Fire and be resistant towards Ice, but weak to physical and water attacks.**_

"I need a minute there!" Chris hinted.

Death nodded as he summoned a murder of ten ice crows.

"You fool! You know clearly that ice can't hurt me much!" Lilith cackled as she drove them off with streams of fiery lasers.

"Thanks for the obvious, fuckface!" Chris smirked as she teleported near a distracted Lilith.

_"Now's my turn! Force Strike: GIGA IMPACT!"_

Chris's body glow as she charged upon a surprised Lilith, slashed the latter with all her might using a null-element Lifebane, toss her flying towards the other side.

The Icy Maiden then slammed the Mad Queen with all her might, blasting the latter towards the entrance door.

_**Giga Impact side effect - System has to recharge for thirty seconds.**_

"Death!" Chris nodded as steam came out from her ventilating systems at her back.

_"Inferno Kreuz!"_

The Mad Queen imbued her staff with fire from the Abyss and teleported straight towards Death and Chris.

_"So the Nephilim Blood that healed Chris can bring forth buffs once her mechanical augmentations adapted to the blood's properties. What a turn of events, heh..." _Death grunted.

Death stepped in front of Chris and crossed his arms.

_"Aegis Guard!"_

A huge barrier filled with arcane magic surrounded the Pale Rider and the Icy Maiden as Lilith slashed the barrier several times, twirled her staff, delivered an uppercut slash, and a cross slash.

The damage, though heavy, was mitigated through Death's extremely powerful Aegis Guard.

Lilith rose up to the air and charged up her staff once more.

"This should make your death a painful one!"

Chris, however, smirked at the last second.

The Mad Queen trapped Chris and Death in a powerful cage shaped like a devil's rose, and shattered it with a powerful fire blade attack.

Lilith smirked, "Your Aegis Guard might be strong, but my arcane is stronger!"

"Yeah?"

"What?" Lilith's eyes widened as she saw Death and Chris standing tall and proud, a strong red aura surrounded them.

_**Tranquillity Orb - Fire Mode**_

_**Fire Resistance up by 40% for three minutes.**_

Knowing that she still had nearly two minutes before her Elemento Halo was capable of transitioning elements, besides being badly hurt by the Giga Impact and Abyssal Hammer, Lilith teleported to the far end of the room and summoned four fireballs.

"Feel the heat! _Solar Bomb!_"

Chris's quick processes allowed her to calculate the distance between the fireball to them, the speed where the fire will travel, and the amount of damage it can deal.

Lilith threw two firebombs with great velocity, but Chris and Death anticipated the fireball's speed and dodged it.

The fire shockwaves, however, damaged the duo. They managed to stand their ground thanks to the Tranquillity Orb: Fire effect.

Chris moved in front of Death just as the next two fireballs were unleashed, taking the damage for the Pale Rider and standing strong thanks to the Tranquillity orb effect.

Both Chris and Death struck Lilith using their ice weapons - Lifebane and Dual Possessed Scythe, leaving Lilith cackling.

"You really believe that Ice can defeat Fire? I'm resistant towards it, you can't hurt me that much!" Lilith smirked.

"Lilith, since you're so clever, let me test you...What does fire do to ice?" Chris asked.

"Melt it to water, of course! Wait...NO!" Lilith's smirk faded to shock and horror as the huge amount of ice that inflicted on Lilith melted into water.

"_I won't allow you to hurt any innocent beings using Corruption! With Ice comes the ability to control water - the element of calmness and determination! Calmness of Tranquillity - Trie Torrentia!" _

Chris guided the streams of water with Lifebane and slashed the Mad Queen in extreme high-speed, dousing her fire-based armor with arcane magic water and further damaging Lilith!

Death switches his secondary weapon into a pair of curved hooks with skeletons on its jagged blade body, and brown, sharp hilts.

_"Behold the power of the Executioner! Execution Blitz!"_

Death quickly stepped in front a dazed Lilith and within seconds delivered high amounts of slashes upon the Mad Queen's critical area - waists, arms, legs, face, and even her wings! The curved hooks gorged Lilith's flashes and seared her bones, drawing massive amounts of blood with each strike.

Lilith screamed in pain, surprising herself; she was a masochist, however, not since Lucifer's punishment had she experienced pain _that she actually feared._

Was it because her plan was revealed?

Was it because Death finally became stronger?

Was it because Death's respect for his followers made him stronger?

Was it because of the realisations of her creating Corruption that caused Death to fly into an anger she had not anticipated?

Was it Chris's determination to protect the innocent?

So many questions, yet so little time, Lilith's eyes flared with anger and frustration.

"I am a masochist...but this time you have truly made me incandescent with anger!" Lilith roared as she crossed her arms once more.

_"Elemento Barrier: Lightning!"_

Lilith's halos turned yellow because of the transition. Her body crackled with electricity.

_"I will finish you! DEMONIC THUNDER!"_

Lilith rose to the air and raised her staff creating massive amounts of black, woolly Cumulonimbus Clouds rumbling in the skies.

Chris quickly stepped in and pushed Death away, taking the lightning attack a second later.

Lilith smirked, believing that she got Chris overloaded with lightning.

Chris stumbled for a few seconds, and then stood her ground. Her body charred with smokes coming out of her body, armor, and ventilation units. Lilith, however, was shocked when she saw a smirk spreading over Chris's face while her charred hair hid her face!

_**Project Tundra: Electric Shielding ability activated - combining Sunder's Shielding ability for higher damage resistance.**_

_**Lilith's Elemento Mode - Lightning**_

_**Target is weak against Ice, but absorbs lightning.**_

Death, taking advantage of Lilith's shock, delivered a powerful shockwave straight at the Mad Queen.

Lilith managed to dodge the attack to her left, but failed to anticipate Death's quick teleport slash to his right. The ice element, imbued upon the blade body of Death's Dual Possessed Scythes, sliced through the sinew and bones of Lilith's lightning armor.

The Mad Queen keeled, allowing Death to land in a Harvestor Revenge and Twin Humanities one-two combo and inflicting severe frost damage towards the former!

Despite the charred burns, scratches, and bruises inflicted on Chris so far, her mechanical augments still worked fine thanks to the electric shielding and the medicated Nephilim Blood that passively improved her defence.

The Icy Maiden stood up, just in time for Death to appear behind a dazed Lilith. The pale Rider plunged his scythe on Lilith's back and did a suplex towards Chris, who promptly responded by delivering an uppercut.

The Icy Maiden's eyes glowed blue with determination as her aura grows stronger in resolve.

_"Our resolve shall be there! Frozen Tranquillity: Trie Blitz!"_

Chris punched the Mad Queen on her guts, slashed her left, right, up, down, unleashed a shock wave, then slashed left and right once more, unleashed a powerful energy shockwave shaped as a wedge that sliced through Lilith's body, and trapped her inside a frozen icicle.

The Icy Maiden merged her Dual Lifebane into a big Lifebane, closed her eyes, imbued Lifebane with a huge blue aura and, with a huge shout, delivered a slice across the icy prison. The Icicle shattered and sent Lilith crashing towards a wall once more.

Angered, Lilith unleashed another Etherion upon Chris and Death. However, instead of shooting electricity from the floor via a circle, Lilith created a six-pointed star and unleashed bolts of lightning energy.

_**Tranquillity Orb - Electric**_

_**Project Tundra: Electric Shielding ability activated - combining Sunder's Shielding ability for higher damage resistance and preventing augmentation shut downs.**_

_**Electric resistance up by 80% for self, 40% for allies.**_

Death swiftly moved away from the electric shots swiftly, deflecting some of Lilith's lightning attack with his Executioner Hooks. Lilith, however, teleported behind and continued her attack.

Chris, detecting a huge surge of arcane magic from Lilith, detected the latter's change in direction and drove a huge ice wedge shockwave down her belly. A concentrated group of lightning blast hit the Icy Maiden at the same time, causing the Icy Maiden to fall on one of her knees for a moment before getting back up, panting.

Lilith stood up, her wings frozen and tattered by the amount of damage inflicted upon her. Blood slowly seeped out of her belly, face, and her arms.

Death's body was charred and despite his resistance to pain, had burn wounds inflicted upon his chest.

"I will give credit where credit is due...you fight well!" Lilith panted, but smirked.

"Same to you...I thought a Temptress like you will just go off sucking people's cocks!" Chris cussed. "Seems you have more arcane power than I have imagined...I mean you even damaged me despite my elemental resistance. I still stand but...you fight well too!"

"Do you really want Creation so badly that you're willing to kill your sons by means of Corruption, take part in the premature Apocalypse, transforming Abaddon into the Destroyer, wiping out Humanity, and waiting for me to rescue War just so you could persuade me in reviving the Nephilims instead?" Death frowned.

"Humans...they are just nothing but misery and weakness, as what Absalom mentioned! Revive Humanity, and I assure you they will not survive the resurrection! With the Nephilims, we can prove that Demons are the rulers of Earth and all of Creation shall tremble before our might!" Lilith snarled.

"Misery and weakness..." Chris stood up, her eyes glowing blue with the Rune of Project Tundra glowing in her left eye. "Yeah right...you're judging the many by the sins of a few!"

"Who are you to judge what Humanity is?" Death frowned.

Lilith's eyes widened. "They all do nothing but greed! And greed is where I feed upon, together with cunning! Beside, Chris...you claimed you are not human...so what gives you the right to judge one too?"

She smirked as she transformed her Elemento Barrier into purple Halos - the Element of Darkness.

Chris chuckled as she looked down. "Lilith...I was once a human...But before I know the meaning of Humanity I forsook it for a selfish cause at the age of eight, not knowing that what I have disappointed my parents time and time again because I run away from my problems for ten years..."

She took a deep breath and continued. "Alito and I refused to do anything about it because we run away from my pain, wallowing in pity. Since the Fuschia's last will and seeing the peaceful lives of family torn apart by disasters, heartless murderers, and tyrants...we came to realize that we have to face our duty and not run away from it."

Chris grabbed her merged Lifebane as a torrential burst of ice surrounded her body.

Both Chris and her sentient Lifebane shouted, "And that duty, our duty...IS TO PREVENT ANYONE FROM BECOMING THE NEXT US BY STOPPING HEARTLESS MORONS LIKE YOU, EVEN IF PEOPLE MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND US, AND EVEN IF IT WILL TAKE AGES TO FIND OUR DESIRED ANSWERS!"

_**Operational Mode: ENGAGED**_

_**Driver Level: 300%**_

_**Processing Level: Maximum**_

_**Element: Null**_

_**Tranquil Fury - On!**_

Lilith summoned four dark orbs around her body and covered herself with a red barrier.

"Worthless scums...return to the dust from whence you came!" Lilith's Dominatrix let loose a burst of arcane energy.

Death stood beside Chris, nodding softly...

_"You're getting there, Chris...You're getting there in terms of finding solace...Once you find solace your clear mind will understand the answer you so wanted eventually." _

Death clenched his Dual Possessed Scythes, deactivated its elemental properties, and bended his back slightly as he poised for the final rush.

Lilith charged up a powerful Dark Orb as she rose up and raised her staff. "I'm resistant to all elements...There's nought that way but despair! _DARKNESS: ETHER BURST!_"

_**Sunder's Ability activated - Shielding**_

_**Restrain Order: Deactivated**_

_**Using Operational Mode will cause weaponry systems to be down for 50%. Recovery needed is eight hours for restoration to full health. Future uses will have the body adapt to recover faster.**_

_**Are you sure, you want to go ahead with this function? Y/N**_

Chris and Lifebane chose the 'Y' option as the Rune of Project Tundra and Ventus glowed brightly with their intense determination.

The Aura created from their project programmes suddenly formed a woman's apparition with short black hair, two bangs on two sides of her face, and a ponytail from the back of her head.

The apparition also wore a kimono with sakura flower patterns and a big ribbon on her back. She was wearing a warm simper upon her face as she spread her arms.

_"That must be the Kako Takafuji that Chris and Alito mentioned back in the Forge Lands...The Fortune Lady that gave them the Arcane Magic which requires the Project Programmes to control properly..." _Death frowned.

Without a word, Chris sprinted over to Lilith's Ether Burst, braved the attack by sheer will, and surprised the Mad Queen by coming out of the Ether Burst, heavily damaged, but not as damaged as the aftermath of Lucien's fight.

Death, noticing the window of chance, sprinted towards a shocked Lilith, who raised her staff in a last-ditch attempt to block Chris's attack.

Chris's Lifebane clashed with Lilith's Dominatrix Staff, forcing a temporary dead lock between the two. The palace slowly losing foundation and was cracking under the immense energy build-up from the deadlock.

Death transformed into his Reaper Form, to negate the gush of wind caused by the deadlock, and sliced Lilith's wings off!

The mad Queen screamed in pain as Chris threw Lilith's Dominatrix away. Time came to a crawl as Chris's processing unit and senses heightened thanks to Operational Mode.

_"Gefrorene Tranquillity: Augenblicklich Klinge!" (Frozen Tranquillity: Instantaneous Blade!)_

Chris drew out her Dual Lifebane, slashed every sinew, bones, muscles, joints in Lilith's body, and reappears behind the Mad Queen. As soon as Chris joined her Dual Lifebane by the hilt, a sharp sound pierced the skies as waves of sword energy exploded within Lilith's body. Blood seeped out from the lacerations and stab wounds that Lilith received.

Reaper Form Death swung his Harvestor past the weakened Mad Queen, slicing her clean and ending the mad Queen's life for the last time.

Lilith's dying body slumped on the floor, slowly dissolving into the air, but not giving her last words of defiance...

_Death...and you dreaded, cursed followers...you will never defeat Samael...Even if you do and attempted to resurrect Humanity, Absalom will see that unless you resurrect the Nephilims instead of the weak and pathetic humans...YOU WILL NEVER COME OUT ALIVE!_

"Humans...you can't just simply judge a race with the sins of a few...You won't get it Lilith...because you have never been to a human world before, or never even live there..." Chris frowned.

"For War, Lilith...I will kill even you...my 'Mother' - who even now think you're still right for infecting your firstborn Nephilim with insanity and hate!" Death followed.

With a final scream piercing the heavens, Lilith dissolved into the air, ending the Mad Queen's reign.

"Finally...the one who caused Corruption...gone." Death sighed in relief, dusting his body while nursing his wounds with a bottle of green potion.

"We did it...One of the three major Demon Lords...gone. Seems we got rid of the one's...responsible for Corruption..." Chris stumbled and nearly fell on her back due to exhaustion and the damage inflicted upon her body.

Lifebane powered down to Alito and nearly fell too, were it not for Death holding them by their back just in time.

"I'm sure you can hold out, right?" Death hoped.

"Don't worry...Pale Rider. It is not as serious compared to the aftermath of Lucien's battle. Thanks to the Nephilim Blood increasing my augmentations...I can recover within eight hours with no signs of fatal injuries whatsoever. My body's cardio-system will adapt to recover faster after this..." Chris simpered weakly.

"You stupid fool...You tire yourself, yet you carry on despite all the odds." Death sighed and shook his head.

"We'd rather be a village idiot...then to leave an ally, that we came to respect, for dead right?" Chris shook her head.

"We want to see you make it through...To succeed in destroying Corruption and rescuing War, to prevent history from repeating itself. We neither want you to feel grief for your brother, nor do we want to see our world crumble in Corruption...We also don't want to lose...each other..." Alito followed weakly as she turned to Chris and simpered.

Death gave a dry chuckle. _"Well...you certainly are more human than you thought. You have given me more consideration to respect Humanity now..." _

Death moved Chris near Alito.

"Rest well, yer two Maidens. By the time you woke up, I will have gotten the Demon Key. We will rest up and get to the Well of Souls." Death scrolled through Chris and Alito's waypoint teleporter, highlighting 'Tree of Death'.

"Thanks...Pale Rider." Chris simpered as both maidens fell into a deep sleep.

"My thanks go to you, Pale Rider, for helping my Lady." Alito followed.

After Chris and Alito safely were teleported safely to the Tree of Death, where the Crowfather resided, Death stood up and faced the big door leading to a green clock-like portal circle. The Pale Rider took a deep breath and nodded.

_"It's time..."_

_Thanks...Chris and Alito._

_You make me realize that Humanity is something worth respecting._

_Yes, Humanity has flaws...always have, and always will. _

_But you have taught me that for every flaw of a human nature...there will be someone like you._

_Someone who is willing to protect the fragments of kindness in the world. _

_Someone who is willing to prevent history after suffering one yourself._

_Then again, you will refuse to admit that you're a human, because of your guilt..._

_I'm sure that one day, there will be a group of people who will understand you both well enough to say..._

_'It's not your fault.'_


	37. Death vs Samael!

_**Chapter 37: Death vs Samael - The Lord of the Black Stone!**_

He was a reaper travelling through countless worlds and among the many worlds he had been to, Earth was the place where his presence was felt the most.

Yet his job never seemed to involve understanding humans at all. It was just waiting until a particular human's life was up, took out his Harvestor, and off with the victim's soul to the Land of the Dead.

There was nothing to empathize about, nor could he understand why the people are feeling grief at all.

All the times Death had been on Earth, his reasons were simply 'for the balance'.

He never cared for them, nor did he ever understand why people feel grief when someone dies.

He simply killed dying humans just for the sake 'of the Balance', or at least that was what the Charred Council told him to do.

He was always portrayed as the villain, being blamed upon for someone else's death, and being blamed upon for inflicting unfairness towards family, loved ones, or even a group of innocent people.

He ignored the pleas of the innocent, but he knew he was not the villain; he was simply carrying out the Council's orders.

That was, until Chris and Alito appeared.

Despite being of different magnitude, both Death and the two maidens shared one thing...

_Grief..._

_Guilt..._

_And most of all...sorrow._

Then it all hit him - there was more to humans then being things to reap when their lives were up.

Chris and Alito, despite their refusal of admitting humanity, had showed Death about the values of being human more than his time on Earth.

The Nephilims certainly deserved to die; they were heartless murderers conspiring with Lilith after all.

But what about the humans that were innocent to began with?

What about the humans who were fighting for a good cause?

They did not deserve to die, were they?

Why then...? Why did the Charred Council want Death to kill the innocent beings?

Was it clearly for the sake of the Balance?

That was when it hit Death, like a bus slamming on a tall and solid tower.

_"Your precious Balance only serves to stay its hand."_

The pale Rider never came to know the importance of this sentence until Corruption strikes, attempting to thwart his plans of reaching the Well of Souls and rescuing his brother War.

The Charred Council knew about Corruption all along, yet they never told him about it...Why?

_"Your precious Balance only serves to stay its hand."_

Again, it was that same damn reason...Balance.

The Charred Council simply accepted Corruption as a part of life, as a part of Balance...

If Death simply accepts Corruption as a part of life, he would have given up right now; Corruption brought nothingness to balance life, right?

WRONG.

How wrong he was...

Since Chris and Alito came along, Death finally knew the true meaning of Balance...

Chris's world grew peaceful despite the social indifferences, and that was only between otakus and people who dislike the moe culture. Nothing more; Chris and Alito, along with the socialites they met along the way, could solve it.

Death's world did not grow peaceful; instead, it grew a fuck load more chaotic.

Stocks falling...epidemics everywhere...natural disasters plaguing everywhere...terrorists rampaging and inflicting fear upon everyone...unemployment...death of a loved one...war because of political issues.

But that's okay right? Because the Charred Council knew, that Balance was about life and chaos balancing each other out.

WRONG AGAIN.

What if Balance was something abstract, and not just about Life and Death, Good and Evil, Light and Dark?

What if Balance's main ingredients were just Heaven, Hell, and Man?

What if...the Charred Council's perception of Balance was wrong?

What if...Balance need not be so complex after all?

Yes...balance need not be so complex.

By what methods did Chris and Alito partake in to maintain the Balance in their world?

_Preventing history from happening to the innocent beings._

_Protecting the innocent beings from heartless evil._

By the Charred Council standards, Chris and Alito would have not understood Balance at all.

Yet, what did that apparent 'lack of understanding balance' got their world into? Exactly...

_Peace._

_Solace._

_Calm state of mind._

_Happiness._

_Most of all...Balance._

One thing is for sure...the Charred Councils were wrong about Balance...

For once, Death had cleared his mind.

He would rescue War, restore Humanity, and challenge the Charred Councils about the true meaning of Balance.

Death knew that he would be killed, but he would not care.

It was time to step it up, and stood up for himself.

Death silently thanked Chris and Alito; his respect for humans grew even more.

_**Edge of Black Throne**_

The statue of a big demon with a pair of huge, upside-down vampire wings, two ram-like horns, scaly skin, and a wrinkled demonic face eroded away into the vortex from afar.

_"Samael is close..." _Death frowned.

Death charged up a bright green energy, tore a void right in front of a circle with Phasewalker, and jumped into the portal.

The ruined area changed into a dark red room with statues of Lilith, Lucifer, and Samael upon the room's interior.

Devil horns grew on ribbed pillars, and fire torches lit up the blood-colored room. Sitting upon the throne laid the Blood prince himself, Samael.

He had many names - Red Wanderer, Lord of the Black Stone, the Demon Prince, and the Strongest of the Demon Realm.

Samael's eyes glowed yellow as he sensed the Pale Rider's unsanctioned arrival via the Phasewalker. He clenched his fists.

"So...the Council sends only one Horseman...even to the past." the Blood Prince spoke in a deep, gruff voice as Death traversed down the stairs from the side.

"No, this visit is...unsanctioned. In fact, no one knows you are here." Samael smirked.

"Not a soul. Now hand over the key, it can be our little...secret." Death frowned.

Samael chuckled softly and soon disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Death quickly drew out his dual Possessed Scythe and poised for battle.

However, the Blood Prince quickly appeared behind him and lifted him with telekinesis. Death's flesh stretched, sending cold sweat down the Pale Rider's forehead as he winced in pain.

"Huh...Pitiful..." Samael grunted as he threw the Pale Rider towards the other side of the throne room.

"Flawed castings from a perfect mold. Absalom was always stronger than the rest of you..." Samael taunted and teleported in front of Death to attack, just in time for the latter to pick himself up and quickly locked the former in a deadlock.

Blades and arms clashed as the Throne Room's rocky floor cracked from their sheer power.

Death stared at the Blood Prince. "You'll find me...strong enough...Samael!"

The Pale Rider's eyes glowed as he unleashed a powerful burst of arcane magic to break Samael's attack. The Blood Prince stood his ground and laughed heartily.

"Yes. You have overcome many obstacles to stand here before me." Samael boasted as he teleported back upon his mighty throne. "But sometimes, the hero dies in the end. Ask your brother."

_"So this place happens during the one hundred years of War's imprisonment, huh?" _Death frowned.

"Will you surrender the key, or must I take it?" Death grew exasperated."

Samael signalled Death with his right index finger and gave a smirk once more. "Well...I think we knew the answer..."

The bridge connecting the platform Death was standing on and Samael's throne disappeared with the latter's command.

Death quickly summoned three ghouls once more, luring the Blood prince successfully. The Pale Rider unleashed a powerful shockwave behind Samael's back, causing the latter to keel over.

The Blood Prince quickly teleported back to his throne and summoned three scorching fireballs, which Death dodged easily.

Knowing that it was all a set up for Samael's quick teleportation attack, Death quickly summoned three ghouls again and barely dodging the Blood Prince's teleportation slash.

The Blood Prince smirked as he homed in upon the pale Rider with his Teleportation Claw, but the Pale Rider quickly dodged the attack to the side. Samael glared at Death and delivered another Teleportation Claw once again, barely missing the latter were it not for Death's quick roll dodge.

The ghouls exploded and Death launched another shockwave from his Slice of Death, but Samael teleported back towards his throne, causing Death's attack to miss.

Death frowned as he managed to dodge the Blood Prince's teleportation Claw once again. The Pale Rider swung his Dual Possessed Scythe straight towards Samael but the latter teleported immediately in front of the former with dive bomb. The Pale Rider barely managed to dodge towards the right as he dodged Samael's following cross-slash with a back flip yet again.

Two consecutive and hair-raising close shaves of dodging Samael's quick, but strong crush claws, Death sensed an opening and moved in for the kill. Unleashing a Twin Humanities, Death successfully landed strong hits towards the Blood Prince and keeling the latter once more.

Samael teleported back to his throne and cackled as he summoned five fireballs; threw the first two fireballs at once and another two next.

Death strolled past the Fireballs handily, and quickly summoned three ghouls, all while noticing the fifth fireball _vanished into thin air._

Quickly sensing something is amiss, Death managed to dodge roll away from Samael's teleportation punch towards the ground.

Samael pulled out his fists but ghouls' slash attack distracted him, and a huge sonicboom from Death's armblades struck him once more.

The Blood Prince roared in anger after failing to land a hit on Death throughout the battle.

"You have improved...way better than I imagined!" Samael frowned.

"I hate it when I have to say, 'I told you so!'." Death grunted.

Samael teleported back to his throne and sat on it, his right arm rested upon his right cheek as he lay lazily. The bridge connecting the battle zone and Samael's throne materialised again.

Knowing that Samael was trolling him, Death still charged on full force and delivered a full on cleave with his possessed scythe. A wicked grin etched upon the Blood Prince's face as he blocked the cleave attack with his left hand, parried it, and pushed Death back with a powerful, fiery shockwave. Scorching fire burned upon Death's flesh as he quickly turned and saw Samael appearing behind him, getting ready for a punch.

The Kinslayer, however knew full well about Samael's attack and quickly evaded Samael's charge with a super backward somersault.

The Lord of the Black Stone teleported back into his seat, clapping his hands.

"Bravo...bravo! You anticipated my attacks, but that is only round one! This time...I won't let you have it easy..." Samael smirked as he raised his right hand and pulled the platform where Death is standing on near him.

"Now...for round two!" Samael roared as his fists burst with demonic flames and crackled with lightning.

Death though had anticipated Sameal's increase in attack and grunted slyly.

"Look who's talking." said he, as he summoned three ghouls and somersaulted his way backwards.

Samael roared and unleashed a powerful sweeping slash upon the ghouls with his electrically charged fire fists, destroying them with one hit, but Death acted quickly and unleashed a powerful sonicboom from his Slice of Death.

Samael teleported back to his throne and smirked.

"Trust me...it ain't over..._Burn in the Abyssal Flames of Hell - Magma Crusade!"_

Death looked down, saw ripples of yellow energy surrounding him, run around in a large circle, and promptly dodge roll when the circle became bigger. A huge surge of towering fire erupted from the ground soon after.

Ripples of yellow energy continually tailed Death as tower after tower of energy erupted from the ground, but Death successfully dodged them all when the tailing circle became big each time.

After ten rounds of the Magma Crusade, Death landed on his feet, only to see Samael grinning as he appeared in front of him. Death, however, managed to do back flips twice in a row before Samael could land a powerful electrically charged punch with a short, but powerful shockwave that crackled the floor around him.

Samael then punched the ground, unleashing streams of electrically covered magma from the pool of lava surrounding the battlefield upon the Pale Rider.

Death waited until the last moment, when several streams of magma gathered and rained upon him, and dodged it. Another stream appeared from the other side shortly after and Death dodged towards the opposing side. Two streams from both left and right appeared behind him but Death did a back flip high enough to dodge Samael's backstabbing slash once again; the Pale Rider anticipated it all along.

Both Samael and Death clashed their weapons once more, with Death barely managing to get the upper hand by pushing Samael away. Flurries of slashes soon inflicted upon the Blood Prince as soon as Death grabbed the window of opportunity with both hands.

Samael roared and teleported back upon the Throne, raising his hands and flaring up.

_"Destruction Awaits - Chaotic Hellfire!"_

Seven rings of fire surrounded Death, who stood below the center ring, within close proximity. Death however, managed to jog away from the ring of fire just as it concentrated and unleashed the Tower of Fire.

As Death successfully dodged the fire ring, another group of seven rings surrounded the Pale Rider, but he managed to evade it quickly. Throughout the next seven waves, Death barely evaded the rings of fire tailing and exploding around him.

After unleashing Chaotic Hellfire Samael teleported into the battlefield, but Death quickly summoned three ghouls to lure him once again.

Samael punched the ground, unleashing another shockwave that caused the ghouls to explode.

Death quickly took the slight delay and unleashed another cleave upon the Blood Prince. Samael teleported behind the Pale Rider, but the latter quickly turned around and swung his Possessed Scythes towards Demon Prince. Samael appeared beside him and Death responded by another swinging slash, but the former teleported shortly after.

Death took a deep breath looked behind him and saw a rush of air behind him. Striking the hot iron, Death managed to merge his dual possessed scythe into a large scythe, turn a one-eighty, and managed to second-guess Samael's position - at his back.

Samael's eyes widened as Death inflicted a large gash upon his wrist and chest.

Surprised, yet enraged at Death's ability to second-guess his attacks, the Blood Prince charged upon the Pale Rider, and slashes upon slashes ensued upon the Palace of the Black Stone.

In the end, Death managed to second-guess Samael's appearing quickly beside him, transformed into his Reaper Form, and slashed the Blood Prince four times on the trot. The resulting intense arcane power and force sent Samael crashing upon his throne seat, where spikes that made up the throne impaled through his side chest and wings.

Blood started flowing out of his wounded body slowly as he eased himself out of the spikes and sat upon the throne, exhausted an surprised.

"You...you have certainly grown stronger than I have imagined. I bet the Death of this timeline would be certainly surprised...You win, for now..." Samael frowned.

Death powered down from his Reaper Form and approached the Blood Prince.

"Are you going to hand in the Key now?" Death frowned.

"Well...if you can state your reason...perhaps I will." Samael frowned.

_**After telling the Blood Prince about getting to the Well of Souls, and his upcoming battle with Absalom...**_

"Hmmm...Interesting. Perhaps you'll succeed after all." he gradually regained his wicked, anticipating smile as he materialised a big, black key with a skeleton hold and four 'bits'.

"Either way...it will be quite a show!" Samael smirked as Death picked up the Key, but returned to his usual frown yet again.

"Just know this, Pale Rider...it won't be long before we will fight again. You have better give me your best short, Rider, or you will be toasted; I have not even released of my powers yet. Reviving Humanity though, heh, I'm certain that those weak humans will not stand a chance." Samael frowned.

"What makes you think so?" Death wondered.

"What more do you think the End War is for? Nothing more than a battle to decide which faction rule over Earth...Be it the cunning of demons, the justice of the White City, or a mixture of both from humans, the End War is just a worthless battle for bureaucracy to decide what method of ruling Earth is better. But us demons will win this pointless scuffle in the end." Samael replied.

"Really? Because I have heard about Demons becoming evil for the sake of being evil, you know, like most fantasy clichés." Death grunted.

"That is why they fall. That is why Demon Lords like Belial will not live long. He's evil and greedy for the sake of being evil and greedy." Samael grunted.

He continued, "Humans are similar to us; cunning and despicable. I will never understand why the Charred Council wants to let humankind participate in the End War. The Council's laws, their code of Honor, and the Balance are something I will never respect. We will show them that we demons are stronger than the humans' cunning are! Until then...enjoy your victory..." Samael smirked.

"We shall see about that then." Death crossed his arms.

Samael cackled as he vanished, leaving no traces of him behind.

"Good...I will be looking forward too." Death muttered as he looked at the Demon Key in all its glory.

_"Well...this is it...Time to knock Absalom in his skull!" _Death clenched his fists, anticipating the rematch.

_"Trust me Samael, you have no idea how resolved I am right now...I will make sure my new respect for humans will shake your once cunning smirk, for humans have something you demons do not have..." _ Death grunted.


	38. The Well of Souls!

_**Chapter 38: The Well of Souls - Chris, Alito, and Death vs Absalom!**_

_**(Note: Shiori Arisawa AKA Minami Takahashi the 5th will be joining as the illustrator along with Mayu Watanabe Type III and Ayako Kuroki AKA Yukirin the 6th)**_

_**Chris's psyche - After the battle with Archon Lucien.**_

_"Mom...dad!" _

_Chris embraced her two parents as soon as she set her eyes upon them._

_"My sweet! It's such a long time since we have met you! You have grown so much!" Chris's mother chuckled._

_"Look how far you have come, our dear daughter." Mr Fuschia grinned._

_"Mom...dad, there's so many things I want to tell you...But..." Chris shook her head._

_"Are you still grieving about us, my sweet?" Chris's mother wondered._

_"Not really...I realize that I can't start grieving properly until I find solace within myself and start finding the meaning of humanity...I wonder when this nightmare is going to end. When am I going to find solace? I don't even know how I will find the meaning of humanity, or what it is in the first place. I don't even know if it is my fault, either!" Chris shook her head._

_"So you don't know when you're going to find solace, when your nightmare is going to end, what humanity is, and if it is your fault that we died...mm?" Chris's father wondered._

_"Yeah..." Chris lowered her head, and then asked. "Mom...dad. Please tell me what to do..." _

_Chris's mother patted Chris's shoulder. "My sweet...we at the Fuschias don't even know about it too. This is something that you and Alito have to find." _

_"Only we can end the pain and suffering and answer those questions? I can't even do it!" Chris shot out._

_Chris's mother and father looked on, shocked._

_"How the fuck am I suppose to know the answers to the problem that both my mom and dad don't even know? I'm not superman! I might have all the technological augmentations and arcane energies, but even that can't help me answer the problems I have asked myself over and over for the past twelve fucking years! People think I'm very good, but deep down I ain't even good! I know I shouldn't just mope around and do jack but I just don't..." Chris shook her head, tears brimming out from her eyes when Chris's mom and dad embraced her._

_A familiar embrace that Chris felt all the time when she was young._

_"You'll figure it out someday..." Chris's mother simpered._

_"We know you can do it." Chros's father nodded along._

_Chris's eyes widened as she looked softened her clenched fists, a strange sense of warmth crept up upon her nerves and spines and welled up in her heart._

_"You really think I can..." Chris wondered._

_"Hey, of course! Look at you, my dear daughter...You, and your allies, along with Alito have ensured peace back in our world! You and Alito have basically maintained our last will not just for our sake, but for your sake too!" Mr Fuschia smiled._

_"A parent must always believe their children to do anything, no matter what, right? This time, you and Alito not only have our support, you also have the entire Fuschia's belief too!" Mrs Fuschia simpered._

_"You know my...my..." Chris blushed._

_"To be honest, we're quite surprised at first..." Mr Fuschia nodded._

_"But seeing that both of you have gone through so much crap, it is inevitable that the both of you will fall in love with each other. Besides, love does not depend upon the gender of a person. Love is love; no limit to which person you can love, no matter the age, no matter the race, and no matt__**e**__r the gender." Mrs Fuschia nodded._

_"Thanks...mom and dad...So, you really believe that I can find the answer with Alito? Even if that means I have to be cold?" Chris wondered._

_"Then again, we don't know. What we do know is...we believe in you no matter what! We know you will find the answer in the end! That is a parent's duty and love for a child!" Mr Fuschia nodded._

_"Chris...We believe in you!" Mrs Fuschia simpered._

_"Mom...you called me by my name..." Chris gasped._

_"That mean, Chris, you have grown. No longer are you Chris-chan...You are a woman now, Chris. Stand up, and find the answer for us, for the Fuschia, for the people who believed in you, for Alito, and most of all...for yourself!" Mrs Fuschia nodded._

_As Chris woke up from her sleep, she looked at the necklace that her mother gave her before the demise..._

_"Mom..dad...and the entire Fuschia family...thank you...Even if it means I have to be cold, I will find the answers, all of them, even if I have to die!" Chris clenched the necklace softly._

_**Well of Souls - at the Tree of Life itself.**_

"I found the Demon Key, Crowfather." Death nodded.

"Then, at last, you may enter the Well of Souls. But, once undertaken, there is no returning on this path." the Crowfather warned.

"I've come this far, Crowfather. And so does Chris and Alito, both of whom have earned my respect. We're not turning back." Death nodded.

"Then be warned, rider of death. A dark presence guards the Well, and the seeds of Corruption writhe within." Crowfather replied.

"The Well is corrupted." Death replied.

"Yes. But not the nameless kind you have faced thus far. No, Corruption has chosen a Champion - a voice to sound its clarion call." the Crowfather cautioned.

"Absalom..." Chris and Alito frowned.

"We will see this finished - here and now." Death followed.

"Remember what you have learned, rider, Chris, and Alito. Corruption is the end of all things...even Death." Crowfather replied.

"The tree, the keys, the well - why do i get the sense you're testing me?" Death frowned.

"You test yourself, old friend. For what you've done - for what you had to do. And now you face the ultimate test. Will you bring death or give life?" the Crowfather questioned the Pale Rider, then turned to Chris and Alito.

"Chris and Alito. It seems that you are more confident in finding what solace is about." Crowfather nodded.

"Thanks, Crowfather." Chris bowed.

"Remember, others can help you, can guide you, but in the end...only you have the ultimate power to answer the questions within you." the Crowfather encouraged.

_**Well of Souls entrance**_

"This is it, Death...the moment of truth." Chris frowned.

"To think that Abaddon broke the six seals according to what the Pool to Earth upon the Spire said." Death frowned.

"War is fighting the Destroyer as we speak...Uriel told me about it; she was earlier defeated by the Vovin itself. Yet, if we need to have any hope about securing War's innocence...the Well of Souls is the only way to go." Chris sighed.

Chris and Alito turned to Death.

"Well, how about a last shake of hands? There might be no time to say goodbye after this..." Chris simpered.

Chris, Alito, and Death joined their hands together...

"Our aims are different, but our paths converged, and now we merge as one allied team. Let us strike Corruption down!" the trio shot out.

Death used Soul Splitter to split himself into green and purple Death. The green Death unlocked the right half of the Well's gate, while the purple Death unlocked the left half of the Well's gate.

The ancient door of eons gave a loud creak as it opened the path to the Well of Souls, and Death deactivated Soul Splitter.

Death, Chris, and Alito nodded as they stepped on a path of no return - to the Well.

The Well's interior was dark blue, dust and rocks scattered across the floor. Creepers hung on the ceiling, yet there were no life; there were no hint of bug life in this once holy place.

Within a few strides, the trio could hear the anguished cries of the souls. They reached a vast place with streams of souls wandering about helplessly, seeking solace, seeking forgiveness and most of all, seeking an end to the anguish that they had suffered.

Arcane crystals hovered across the room, the arcane words lost their lustre as black, gooey substance covered parts of the crystals.

In the middle of the Well...lies the Ultimatum.

He had many names, The Avatar of Chaos, the bringer of Nothingness, the son of Lilith, the Destroyer of Creation and most of all...the Champion of Corruption.

But in the end...he had only one true name - _**Absalom...**_

The Corrupted Nephilim attached itself upon thick strands of Corruption vines by his back as it descended to meet his challenger.

"Have you ever wondered, Death, Chris, and Alito, why you are all untouched while those around you wither and rot in the grip of Corruption? Could it be that you are already blackened by the sin of betrayal; both women for not saving your loved ones, and Death for slaying the Nephilims?" Absalom smirked. "How can you defeat that which seethes in your own heart?"

He continued, "You cannot stop me, without forever damning your soul!" Absalom then propelled himself up high with Corruption, detached himself from the Well's wall, and landed on the platform, taking out his mighty axe - Absolution.

"Absalom...it is not because of the sin of betrayal that made me immune to your filth...It is the fact that Alito and I are determined to find the meaning of solace and the answers to our questions. Then again...this is something that you will never understand, and we rather you die then knowing it!" Chris frowned.

"If you think for a second there that you are going to make me believe your lies...then, so be it!" Death frowned as he drew out his Dual Possessed Scythe.

_**WARNING! WARNING! BOSS FIGHT ENGAGED - ABSALOM **_

_**Morphology: Absalom**_

_**Type: Corruption**_

_**Size: Giant**_

_**Weapon: Absolution**_

_**Description: The ultimate of ultimates. Absalom the Avatar of Chaos. Thanks to Corruption, he can run fast despite his size and big axe. His swing is moderately fast, and has a wide arc range of up to 55cm. He can also unleash a powerful triple slash that will increase its arc range of up to 100cm. He hits hard, so be careful. **_

The Avatar of Chaos charged into the fray and roared as he swings his Absolution.

Chris and Death quickly dodge rolled right and left twice, evading Absalom's double slash attack and the Corruption vines that erupted from the ground in front of him.

Absalom's right arm flexed as tendrils manifested upon it and the Avatar of Chaos the swiftly swung his Absolution thrice. However, Chris and Death managed to anticipate the attack by moving further back and did a back flip as soon as the second arc diminished. The third arc barely missed the mark.

Chris and Death nodded the formal clapped her hands.

Chris and Lifebane summoned three ice skeletons and wind skeletons each, with the lure magic thanks to the Nephilim Blood medication upgrade that increased their arcane magic.

Chris then extended her right arm, glared at Absalom and signalled Absalom with her right index finger.

Absalom, taunted by Chris's index finger signal and the skeletons' lure magic, roared and took a huge leap. Death quickly dodged rolled to where he leapt off - the side near the Well's entrance.

Just as the Avatar of Chaos descended upon Chris and Lifebane, the Icy Maiden held her weapon and dodged swiftly towards the right. Taking this as a signal, Death quickly stomp his feet to buff himself with Unstoppable, and quickly unleashed a powerful Teleport Slash upon Absalom.

The dual Possessed Scythe froze, sliced and smashed through the bones and sinews of Absalom.

_**Tundra Formulae: Blue Sophia!**_

Chris also slashed her Dual Lifebane twice, joined them together to formed a big Lifebane, and slashed left, right, unleashed a huge sonic boom, and unleashed a wedged shaped shockwave. Each slash brought about a concentrated stream of ice energy that impaled Absalom's body as an arc.

Absalom keeled down, having suffered enough damage.

"Now to finish you off..." Death frowned as he joined his dual Possessed Scythe together and went for the cleave kill.

However, Chris's quick processing from her Project Tundra detected that Absalom is smirking.

"IT'S A TRAP!" Chris quickly unleashed her arcane teleport, pushed Death out-of-the-way, and taking the huge Corruption Vine instead.

"Muahahaha..." Absalom cackled. "Humans, they are always so weak and foolish; willing to die for an ally's life. What makes you think that Death will care so much about you, as he even cares none for his own kin? Just for the sake of Balance?"

"I don't expect to earn his respect, Absalom...I don't even know what the fuck Balance is...All I know is that once you die, this world and my world will be one step closer into achieving peace!" Chris frowned as her eyes glowed intensely.

_**"Tundra Formulae: Absolute Frost!"**_

Chris froze the Corruption Vines and smashed it with the merged Lifebane's hilt, just in time to detect Absalom unleashing a slash towards the falling Icy Maiden.

Chris managed to connect her foot to the blunt blade body from Absolution and jumped away, but not before suffering a shockwave from Absolution's shockwave effect.

"Urk!" Chris winced as she cancelled the backward momentum by using her Magnetic Ride Suspension unit.

"You okay?" Death asked.

"Yeah! Gotta say though, that shockwave is quite the shocker!" Chris huffed.

Absalom roared as streams of Corruption began infusing inside him, growing bigger and muscular as a result. Veins could be seen around his biceps and triceps, and his body oozed even more filth and Corruption from within.

_**Warning: Absalom reaching Corrupted Avatar Mode. **_

_**Status shown he has been buffed with Corrupted. With the increase of muscle mass, however, his jump distance was reduced. He can make up for it by charging his jump for a few more seconds, though His walking speed is also reduced, and he cannot run. His attacks are increased. However, his critical area became exposed because of his enlargement - strike where it hurts.**_

Chris and Lifebane's ice and wind skeleton distracted Absalom once more by arriving in front of the icy Maiden, taunting the Corrupted Champion to jump towards the skeleton. Chris managed to teleport herself out of harm's way while Death dodge-rolled towards Absalom's back.

Sensing a window of opportunity, the pale Rider quickly sprinted towards Absalom and delivered a powerful uppercut with his Slice of Death, followed by a powerful flipsaw attack behind Absalom's back.

Chris quickly sprinted towards Absalom's front and delivered an uppercut slash, a left and right slash, and ending with a diagonal slash across the abomination's chest, all while unleashing burst of ice shockwaves upon the Avatar of Chaos.

"Let me take care of this!" Death frowned.

"No..." Chris frowned, as Death looked at her with a puzzled face, and simpered. "We deal with him, together!"

Death grunted in agreement.

Absalom quickly attempted to counter with two Corruption Vines, but Chris, learning from their earlier mistakes, plunged their scythes down the Corruption veins, dragged it down, and ripped it to shreds. Absalom attempted to punch them with his left hand, but Death and Chris took a step back and slashed across the Corruption's chest.

Absalom quickly delivered a single sweep slash, but Death and Chris successfully did an overhead somersault to evade it. A huge left sweep by his left fist followed, and the duo managed to roll under it.

Absalom attempted to raise his Absolution to cleave Death and Chris. However, the Pale Rider quickly got up and took advantage of Absalom's slowed reaction time, due to the increased muscle mass, by plunging his dual Possessed Scythe into the Avatar of Chaos flesh.

The Pale Rider used this as a chance to lift himself above Absalom's height, merged his dual scythes into one big scythe, and impaled Absalom's chest with the hilt of the merged scythe.

The Avatar of Chaos could not land a left hook because of the impaling attack, and was further keeled down by Chris's sweeping slash across his legs.

Absalom's roar blasted the duo off as Corruption spewed out of his body, shrinking his size down to his normal height.

"It's time to finish you - there's no way for you to run!" Chris joined her dual Lifebane together into a large Lifebane once more.

Chris and Death bend down, aimed at the Avatar of Chaos as he unleashed a wide slash again, managed to get under the slash arc, and delivered a powerful one-two teleport slash.

Their scythes' arcane magic seared through the corrupted filth and the rotten flesh of the once firstborn Nephilim turned Corruption. Its side rib froze and shattered as black, gooey blood started spewing out of its abdominal body. The Avatar of Chaos kneeled down, shaking his head in utter disbelief.

Every strike from both Death and Chaos was not of despair and damnation of their own souls...but were that of _hope, calm, determination, and solace..._

_And most of all, the deep, burning passion of finding solace inside the icy hearts of Chris and Alito._

"How...how is it I feel not a single damnation of your souls, but instead your determination for absolution? IMPOSSIBLE!" Absalom roared.

"Alito and I do not know if it is my fault, or what humanity's meaning is...but I know we have to find our calm before securing that opportunity. And we will do whatever we can do find the answer that will unfold to us in times to come!" Chris and Lifebane's voice echoed the entire chasm in the Well of Souls.

"Besides...I am not the one who created Corruption...you mother, Lilith, did! Thinking that you can make me feel guilty about my action when it was actually Lilith's doing...You are a truly volatile and prideful beast, succumbed by your own pride - it's your fault...and not because I'm pushing responsibility; because it IS YOUR FAULT!" Death shot out.

Absalom roared, enraged by their reaction, charged towards them, preparing a powerful sweep from his right. Death, though, transformed into his Reaper Form and blocked Absalom's Absolution with his Harvestor.

Blood flowed profusely out from his amputated limb as the Avatar of Chaos charged forth with his right hand preparing for a punch.

Chris's eyes flared up as a burst of aura surrounded her once more. She quickly joined her dual Lifebane into a large Lifebane once more and threw it as a flipsaw boomerang straight towards Absalom's chest before he could counter it. Chris then quickly sprinted towards the Avatar of Chaos to build up momentum, jumped over just as the latter swiped in for the catch, grabbed the Lifebane's hilt, and sliced the Avatar's right arm off with a battle cry.

Absalom's Absolution, right arm, and left arm succumbed into the abyss by a black hole, never to be seen again...or until someone found it by mere chance.

"Death...he's yours..." Chris nodded.

Absalom stumbled back and forth defiantly; his eyes glowed with rage as he charged into a head butt. However, Death plunged his right scythe, inflicting a fatal stab across his left shoulder.

The monstrous abomination stumbled back a few steps and crashed to the ground; a pool of blood and Corruption surrounded the dying Avatar of Chaos as he raised his Corruption-like arm from the tendrils on his back.

"Take my hand once more, Brother!" Absalom pleaded.

Death and Chris stood in front of the Avatar of Chaos, their eyes glared at the one who brought the world a potential amount of hate, suffering, and evil.

"It's your call, Death...He's your brother, anyway, no matter what." Chris sighed.

Death knew the Crowfather's wise words...

_"I doubt he would grant you the same courtesy, Death."_

Death knew that there was no way he could turn back now. His brother was way beyond redemption; corrupted by his pride, hate, and lust for conquest, destruction, and power.

Nephilims, as Death knew, were supposed to be about combating against the darkness and protecting Humanity despite being Lilith's creations...

Absalom, however, brought this upon himself...

"You are not my brother anymore...Absalom." Death frowned.

"Why?!" Absalom's eyes widened.

"Because you..." said Death as he walked towards the Avatar of Chaos and grabbed the hilt of his Possessed Scythe. "betrayed yourself..."

The Pale Rider pulled out his Possessed Scythe, effectively slicing off the heart of Corruption inside Absalom's chest. The Corruption surrounding Absalom's rotting body slowly eroded away into Oblivion.

The Corruption Vines wrapping around the floating stones shrivelled and dissolved into thin air. The Well of Souls was finally freed of the ancient curse of hate.

Death walked with heavy steps towards the edge of the Well of Souls, ignoring the rotten body of the Avatar of Chaos. Chris and Alito followed behind, giving themselves small smiles - their job were done; Corruption was gone and their world would be at peace once more.

Not for Death, though. He stood by the edge of the Well, shaking his head.

The Crowfather entered the Well and appeared beside Chris and Alito.

"Crowfather...Death doesn't seem to know what to choose." Chris sighed, citing Death's body language.

"The fact that Death knew it is Lilith who created Corruption has made Death innocent, but the fact remains - Death killed the Nephilims. I'm not surprised he still have that bit of guilt inside him. After all...he doesn't wear a mask for nothing." the Crowfather sighed.

"The mask of the Executioner - the artifact that mask his emotions from the guilt he has." Chris recalled.

"I've killed Absalom, stopped the Corruption...I stand, at last, at the Well of Souls..." Death then laughed with a tone of sadness and sarcasm, "With no idea of what to do next..."

"It is quite simple...yet the most difficult..."

Death turned around and saw the Crowfather simpering beside him.

"I'm no humor for riddles, Crowfather." Death dismissed.

"You may tap the power of the Well to return the Kingdom of Man...or you may resurrect the Nephilim. But know that choosing one...will forever doom the other." the Crowfather warned.

Death gave a deep sigh and shook his head.

"Death...if you go back on your words now, how will your brother War feel?" Chris clasped her hands and hoped.

Death closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

_Yes..._

_Chris and Alito, throughout this journey, makes me respect the power of Humanity..._

_I once wanted to revive humanity just so I can rescue War, nothing more._

_But with the two Maidens, the respect I give them is enough for me to know that there is another reason for me to revive humanity..._

_After all...wasn't Nephilims' job to protect Humanity and fight against the darkness?_

_Fighting against Chris and Alito side by side gave me a new perspective on Humanity._

_I once said ours is not to judge what Humanity is..._

_But if I were to judge it, it will seem as if what she said about not judging Humanity based on the sins of a few is right._

_The Nephilims did nothing but deliver chaos, hate, malice, and misery._

_Chris is right..._

_I, as a Horseman, have sworn to protect my brother above all..._

_To go back on my words will mean my journey of rescuing Creation from Corruption and my determination to rescue War will be for damnation..._

_War is my closest brother ever since the Nephilims' death..._

_He's the one who can understand me, even when I'm not talking, as if we are brothers, real close brothers._

_I know what I must do..._

Death raised his head high...

"My brother, War...I would protect him above all, and I would protect the humans too." Death nodded.

Chris and Alito's eyes widened.

"Then again, Chris and Alito, I want the both of you to find solace before going into a clear state of mind to find the meaning of Humanity. You two gave me enough reason to respect humanity and understand that the sins of a few humans, do not determine the fate of all..." Death continued.

"We know we will find the answers to all our questions one day; if our parents could believe us, despite being apparitions, we probably could..." Chris nodded.

"Believe me...I once used to not care about humanity or anyone that is not of my race. I simply do it for the sake of Balance back then. But now...I guess I can see why Humans are indeed worthy of respect." Death chuckled as he turned to face the Well and slowly removed the skeleton mask, his back obscuring Chris's attempt to see Death's face.

_"The removal of his mask...symbolises him letting go of his past...One day, Death...one day...Alito and I will achieve the same thing as you!" _Chris clenched her fists.

"Death!" Chris called out.

"What is it?" the Pale Rider wondered.

"We once thought that Death is just someone who kills mindlessly for no apparent reason...but it seems that even you ain't bad after all. Thank you, Pale Rider." Chris and Alito bowed.

"Farewell for now...Chris and Alito. And thank you...you two have given me lessons in life I will definitely not be able to learn simply under the Charred Council alone...Let's just that my brother can kill Abaddon just in time..." Death grunted, spread his arms, and dived into the Well, dissolving into a thick white smoke.

Chris, Alito, and the Crowfather looked over the Well. The Icy Maiden could feel a strange ump in her throat as she forced it down and simpered.

_"Death...With Death, came life...And the seeds of Humanity is reborn..." _Chris simpered.

The Crowfather's eyes widened. "Wait...the Well's aura is growing infinitely stronger!"

Chris's Prroject Tundra Arcane Energy Scanner detected a huge spike in the Well's power level.

"Energy Level Spiking...and...it belongs to Death's energy signature!" Chris's eyes widened.

"You certain, my Lady?" Alito wondered as she scanned the area. "Good lord...it is!"

"That could only mean one thing..." the Crowfather opened up a pool portal to see into what happened in Earth.

The broken Seventh Seal scattered across the floor, picked up by War once he threw the dead Watcher away.

"The Seventh Seal...broken; the True Apocalypse begins!" the Crowfather frowned.

_"Well, it should be one-sided. We all know who the enemy will be..." _

"Death!" Chris and Alito turned behind and smiled when they saw the Pale Rider rising out of the Well with a brand new Executioner Mask and a huge Harvestor. The crystals in his right chest was gone - a sign of letting go of his past.

"No...the Charred Councils are responsible too. Look what I have just gathered." the Crowfather frowned as he summoned another portal detailing the moments before the Seventh Seal breakage.

_War was just about to grab the Seventh Seal, but was brought to his knees in extreme pain due to the Watcher's strong arcane magic._

_"Heheheh...You had to know it was a one way ticket..." an imp-shaped demon with six eyes and devilish wings taunted._

_"The...Council..." War frowned as he struggled to break the arcane magic and crawled towards the Seventh Seal._

_"They knew you'd never play executioner because of your precious honor. They let you take the fall...They knew you'd butcher everyone involved to clear your name. And you did." the Watcher smirked._

_"No!" Uriel attempted to intercept by swooping in, but a Watcher's black arcane blast deflected her._

_"Patience, whore. I've got something for you too." the Watcher grunted as he snatched the Seventh Seal._

_"If it were to get broken, you might get ideas - like not going back to your little cage."_

The 'recording' ended there.

"So now the Watcher dies...huh? Serves that heartless bastard right." Chris crossed her arms.

Death clenched his fists angrily as veins bulged from his temple and knuckles.

"The Council knew...the Council knew that the Abaddon will break Six out of the Seven Seals...it all make sense now!" Death shot out.

"What?" Alito wondered.

"You said that someone probably tricked War into unleashing Armageddon, right?" Death frowned.

"Yes...' Chris nodded.

"Abaddon couldn't possibly trigger the Apocalypse - only Six out of the Seven were broken. Someone must have led War to believe that Seven were broken instead; that's what you said back in the Forge Lands right?" Death asked.

"Yup." Alito nodded.

"Since War is honorable, he would not respond to the call unless that someone does it...Throughout the eons, War has been loyal to one entity and one entity only..." Death frowned.

Chris and Alito's eyes widened and frowned. "THE COUNCIL!"

"We have no time to waste...let's reunite with Strife and Fury before Hell shows up and tear the whole Balance apart!" Death frowned.

"Wait...we?" Alito wondered.

"You aren't joining in? We are going to finish the fight...together, as brothers!" Death nodded.

"We're not one of the Four..." Alito asked.

"I can settle this..." Death gave a thumb up.

"You're no longer binded by the Charred Council?" Chris wondered.

"After the Seventh Seal's breakage, all Seals will not be restored. Our bonds with the Charred Council will be broken...and we can unleash hell in whatever ways we want...First, the Council, then Samael and finally..." Death nodded.

"Lucifer..." Chris and Alito nodded in reply.

"Be warned...Lucifer has grown stronger through the Eons, but Samael will grow stronger still. You know his ulterior motives, and it will inevitably happen. Whether you will be able to destroy the inevitable will depend on you all, for the future is something that even I cannot keep." the Crowfather warned.

"Let's go..." Death cracked his knuckles. "We have a score to settle."

"The Charred Council...they should have thought of better ways than to anger us all...so much for their definition of Balance..." Chris frowned.

"Their definition of Balance is damn wrong, so let's settle the score...after we reunite with the other three." Death nodded.

_**Back on Earth**_

"You'll be hunted! The White City for certain...the Council...and there will be others! You would wage this war alone?!" Uriel shot out in concern.

War clenched the shattered fragments of the Seventh Seal by his right hand and replied with a deep voice.

"No..." said War raised his right hand up high.

"Not alone..." he continued, just as three comet and two mini-comets descended upon the skies.

Uriel saw two mini comets surrounding the green comet.

_"Two mini-comets...that means..." _the Hellguard Commander's eyes widened.

With the Seventh Seal broken, it summoned the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, along with two female figures beside Death's left.

"War...my Brother. It's good to have you back..." Death gave a bro-fist towards the Red Rider.

"And to you too...Death." War simpered.

"What about the two women? Who are they?" Strife wondered.

"Long story...you impatient brat." Death snarled.

Uriel's eyes widened as a smile crept upon her face...

"Chris...Alito..." she smiled.

_**LET THE END...BEGIN...**_


	39. The Final Charge Part I!

_**Chapter 39: The Final Charge Part I - The Beast within the Council!**_

_**(This chapter's author: Chieri Sono AKA Yuko Oshima the 10th, Nagisa Motomiya AKA Acchan the 14th)**_

_**Previously on Darksiders: Frozen Assets**_

_**Back on Earth**_

_**"You'll be hunted! The White City for certain...the Council...and there will be others! You would wage this war alone?!" Uriel shot out in concern.**_

_**War clenched the shattered fragments of the Seventh Seal by his right hand and replied with a deep voice. **_

_**"No..." said War raised his right hand up high.**_

_**"Not alone..." he continued, just as three comet and two mini-comets descended upon the skies.**_

_**Uriel saw two mini comets surrounding the green comet.**_

_**"Two mini-comets...that means..." the Hellguard Commander's eyes widened.**_

_**With the Seventh Seal broken, it summoned the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, along with two female figures beside Death's left.**_

_**"War...my Brother. It's good to have you back..." Death gave a bro-fist towards the Red Rider.**_

_**"And to you too...Death." War simpered.**_

_**"What about the two women? Who are they?" Strife wondered.**_

_**"Long story...you impatient brat." Death snarled. **_

_**Uriel's eyes widened as a smile crept upon her face...**_

_**"Chris...Alito..." she smiled.**_

"War...meet Chris and Alito. Chris and Alito, meet War, Strife, and Fury." Death introduced.

"It is an honor to meet the Four Horsemen in all their full glory." Chris simpered as she bowed along with Alito.

"Death...what is this?" War wondered.

Chris and Alito recalled their original purpose for coming to this world - to destroy Corruption that threatened to terrorize with dimensional disruption.

"I spent a way to help you prove your innocence by reviving humanity...and these women helped me along the way. You sure got yourself into plenty of trouble, huh?" Death nodded as he shared his main experiences with Chris and Alito.

After finding out that Chris and Alito assisted with the pale Rider throughout the journey, the Red Rider extended his right hand to the two women.

"To help my brother deal with a very dangerous threat to the balance is something few people can tolerate. Chris...Alito...thank you for assisting my brother through the journey he ventured. And to think you do it out of a wish for your parents' last will...You have my respect, honored one." War nodded.

"We're kinda surprised...After the Charred Council's betrayal, I thought you will believe we are doing it for ulterior motives too; I can't blame you if you think this way...being betrayed is certainly not the way to go..." Chris shook her head and clenched her fists.

"If my brother can develop respect for you throughout, there's no denying why. For that reason we will respect you; whom can reap respect from Death...reaps respect from me." War nodded softly.

"We're just happy that you and your brothers are finally reunited. That is more than enough to comfort us." Chris simpered.

"Fury...Strife, it's an honor to meet you too." Chris and Alito nodded.

"I will give you that...thanks..." Strife grunted.

War nodded softly once more.

"Fancy that! Women adventurers helping us out...if that damned Council think that humans are a joke, they did think twice about that now!" Fury chuckled.

"Speaking about the Charred Councils...we already know about the Charred Councils betrayal through the Crowfather back at the Well of Souls." Death frowned.

War frowned as he clenched his fists, crackling with fire and blood.

"It is not Abaddon who tricked me, it is the Charred Council. They know that the Angel of Destruction will betray the White City and laugh at the Councils' faces, but they could not send for us for they thought we would not obey due to reasons of assassination." War frowned.

"So...the Charred Council tricked you into believing that the Seventh Seal was broken by giving out 'The Call' right?" Chris frowned.

"Yes...Because they knew I would find the ones responsible for kick-starting the Apocalypse." War nodded.

"So they tricked you...they manipulated you. And here we are, thinking that Abaddon is the one responsible for all of this?!" Strife clenched his fists.

"The time of the Council is coming to an end...I always have a belief that this will happen; I just did not expect it to be THAT soon..." Death frowned.

"What do you mean, brother?" War wondered.

_"It means your demise is absolute, and not us!"_

A deep growling voice shattered the atmosphere, a voice of authority and accusatory tone rose the four, Chris, Alito, Uriel, and the Hellguards' attention.

Three big ancient spirits with heads half lion and half lamb, hairs that bunched together to form a crown on each of their heads with intricate arcane tattoos, big jaws, sharp teethes, and strong, gigantic muscular bodies of neither demon nor angel appeared. The left Council has a flame-like hair and long beard, the Center wore a scowl upon his face and a ram-shaped horn, and the right has two wavy horns and a scar across his face.

"The Charred Councils have finally shown their true faces..." Death frowned.

"Three ancient beings of neither angel nor demon, but with the shape of an Aldrich Abomination instead! Heh! I expected more from the Councils that I don't take any crap from!" Strife snarled.

"You are the one who allowed Corruption to take place even when you know it would devour all of Creation...all because of your definition of Balance!" Death clenched his fists in anger.

"You know that our betrayal is for the best intentions of the balance. Now that the humans are revived, the true battle of the Apocalypse can commence!" the middle head bellowed.

Death stood in front of the Four, faced the Council, and pointed his Harvestor at the three looming beings.

"Do you really claim that the Balance is basically humans fighting against demons and angels in a supreme ordeal of 'who gets to govern of Creation' better? This two people here prove that they know the Balance better by, ironically, not knowing much about Balance according to your standards!" Death bellowed.

Chris and Alito's eyes widened. "Wait...us?"

"Throughout the eons, I have been a reaper travelling throughout the world, reaping their souls, taking their names, and blasting the worlds into the dark Abyss. I always thought it was all in the name of Balance. I never seemed to understand humans at all, because all I have to do is just harvest their souls when their lives were up..." Death then pointed at the Icy Maiden and her confidante.

"Throughout my journey with them, however, I have learned many things about the values of humanity and Balance more than you, or I, or anyone of us in this god damn state of existence who claimed themselves better than humans could!"

"Yet you still ask me to reap the souls of innocent lives because of your claim that Balance serves to stay its hand? You know about Corruption, yet you still stay your hand because balance means life and nothingness, right? NO!"

"When I took a leave of absence for a few centuries, I felt at peace with myself. When I converse with War, I felt at peace too. When rest, I felt at peace too. When Chris is with Alito, they felt at peace too! When the world is peaceful and quiet, the world is at peace too! When people do whatever they want, like what I do - killing as an art - I felt at peace too! The truth of the matter is...there is no real definition to what Balance is!" Death shot back.

"Then tell us, what did both women do to maintain their world's Balance?" the right Charred Council bellowed.

"We don't claim we are the superior ones. All Alito and I do are to prevent history from repeating itself - to prevent any innocent beings from being killed by any heartless evils from around the world and beyond!" Chris frowned.

"Then your understandings of 'Balance' is nothing but mediocre!" the Charred Councils echoed, but Chris and Alito stood bravely.

"Yeah? Alright, I do not know a damn thing what Balance is, I will give you that! In fact, I do not even want to delve deep into it! All I know is that as long as every innocent beings, family, and friends could live together in harmony...then whatever claims to your theories about Balance are fucking invalid!" Chris bellowed.

"You...a simple-minded being who forsook your humanity for the powers you need to protect Humanity...what makes you think you know better?!" the middle Charred Council accused.

"Because I told you, I don't claim myself superior than anyone except for heartless morons like you three! Even if Humanity is lost...Alito and I are determined enough to find the meaning of humanity, because we are once humans as well!" Chris clenched her fists in determination.

Both Chris and Alito's eyes glowed intensely as the Hellguards, Uriel, and the Four were nearly blown away by the two women's torrential aura.

"Five years, ten years, maybe for a lifetime, whether is it our fault that our parents died...we don't know...But what we do know is, our duties are to protect the innocents until we can find the true meaning of what Humanity is! Because if our parents and the innocents back in our world can place their beliefs and trust upon us..." Chris and Alito crossed their arms as the revealed the cores in their chest - their Project Programmes Core glowing hot with intense arcane energy.

'WE DON'T SEE WHAT ELSE COULD STOP US IN OUR OATH TO REDEMPTION!" Chris and Alito screamed as streams of white light erupted from their chests core and into the skies, creating a dimensional warp hole temporarily.

_**Back in Chris and Alito's dimension - Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture - Nikon (AU Japan)**_

Kako Takafuji, at the stage in the Nissan Stadium for the Super Spring Music Festival, was about to sing Kiso when her Fortune Talisman that she wore around her neck began to glow intensely.

The Fortune Lady Idol could feel the same arcane energy as before; Chris and Alito were calling for her help...

_"Chris...Alito...I knew it, I knew that one day you will take the first step out of your ice cave of yours; to make the first step into finding the meaning of Humanity!"_

Kako raised her Fortune Talisman...

"Chris and Alito, let your first step into finding the meanings of Humanity begin with this one small step!" Kako spread out her arms as her levitated Talisman shot forth a huge burst of magic into the looming atmosphere.

_**Back at The Four's Dimension**_

Two streams of arcane energy converge into one big beam as Samael watched from afar, his eyes widened as he smirked and nodded softly...

_"If this is what Humanity's extent could go..." _Samael smirked.

The converged beam struck both Chris and Alito's Project Programmes Core as they felt a surge of power and a strange sense of support and warmth flowing through their systems and veins.

Chris and Alito's dagger that Valus gave them flashed as they reacted with their core.

"What's happening to Chris and Alito?" Death squinted as the Crowfather, appeared along the Four Horsemen.

"Solace...both Chris and Alito achieved it. They finally achieved that by finding each other in their hearts when they looked deep enough." the Crowfather stroke his beard.

"What do you mean?" Death wondered.

"When a person is at the most calm, most tranquil, and yet the most determined and furious...their aim will be clear. Their mindset will be at the freshest...and Samsarel help those who dare go against beings of such mindset...Such is the mysteries of the human mind, soul, and most of all...the heart." the Crowfather smiled.

_All we want is to see a world where humans can co-exists with other beings, no matter who they are..._

_All we want is to see families not succumbing into the same fate that we do..._

_We do not care who you are, what you are, what kind of position you acquire, what powers you have, what knowledge you have about Balance, or whathaveyou!_

_As long as we see you tearing the fabrics of Humanity, taking away innocent lives for the sake of the Balance, thinking that it is the best way to do..._

_WE WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!_

_**Project Programmes Arcane Reactor - Expanding Core Software Data File and Hardware Arcane Driver**_

_**Achieving Solace**_

_**Reconfiguration of Software**_

_**Software Upgrades Complete**_

_**New Systems - Genesis Arcane Flight Capabilities online**_

_**Processing Levels Upgraded**_

_**All stats boosts - online**_

_**BIOS Systems - Upgraded**_

_**Primary and Secondary Slave System Core Upgraded and connected**_

_**Establishing Upgraded HUDs**_

_**Endurance Programmes Boost by 300%**_

_**Regeneration process for Cardio systems improved by twice the amount**_

_**Champion Form unleashed...**_

_**OPERATIONAL MODE - ON!**_

With a short, sharp war cry, the arcane aura that surrounded them burst forth and dissipated into the thin air.

In the middle of the dissipated aura, Chris's hair turned light sapphire. Her eyes were the same as the arcane rune - the symbol of ice - on her left eyes. Her arms were coated in a sapphire ice made of liquid nitrogen and arcane magic. The armor's pauldrons around her grew slightly longer, branching out into four ice spikes on each side. The ribbons that made up her waist belt became longer as it flowed along in the wind. Chris's forehead glowed as the symbol of four rings intersecting each other in a straight line appeared.

Alito transformed into two slightly bigger Lifebanes with sharper blade bodies and skeleton hilts with eight ice crystals in the compass's direction. Blue and green veins intersected and merged with each other at certain junctions upon its blade body, glowing with immense arcane power.

Chris's back formed a powerful jet booster pack that manifested wings made of strong, arcane ice with jet boosters.

"Impossible...is this...is this the capacity a human being can reach?!" the middle Charred Council bellowed in shock, his eyes widened.

"Want to know why, you fucks? Because Alito and I, along with our allies that we made back in our world, had come to peace and virtually eliminated the world off heartless morons like you...That is why we are able to advance as a single society...and no one, not even innocents get left behind..." Chris looked up to the Charred Council in defiance.

"You fools who want to rule the world under some petty regimes, under your own definition of Balance. Always forcing others to do what they cannot do for themselves, just like what you did to War! That is why I never pray to any one, nor will I be prayed to, because in the end it's not about me or Alito...IT'S ABOUT THE INNOCENT BEINGS THAT WE WILL STRIVE TO PROTECT!" Chris's aura burst, revealing her new permanent form in all her true glory.

_**Activation: Quattro Arcana - Vajra Mode...ONLINE**_

"So that's the capacity of humans back in her world..." War nodded.

"They are now ready to take the first step to finding Humanity's meaning, but they will never be ready until we defeat the Legion first. I will fill you in more as we whoop them." Death crossed his arms and summoned forth his Abyssal Armor, complete with two horns upon his head.

War nodded, "I know honor when I see one; such is the power of the Nephilims. We will help along, and I will exact my vengeance..."

War materialised ten Abyssal Fragments as they fused upon his armor and formed his own version of the Abyssal Armor that had layers after layers of thick plates, a kneepad with the shape of a two-horn demon, a multi-layered plate that begins from the waist down and has intimidating jagged designs. By its waist lay two medium-sized teeth. The armor also sported demonic-shaped shoulder pauldrons upon the wearer's shoulders. Black smoke surrounded the wearer's dark red scarf.

Fury's Abyssal Armor is black and grey with the flame of the Abyss upon her shoulders. Flame trailed from her thighs passed her chest and across her back in an electron-shaped barrier. Fury's flame hair became dark purple as her skin became grey. Her eyes glowed hot with anticipation, burning with vengeance.

Strife cracked his knuckles as his armor became darker with spikes ram horns upon his pauldrons. His boots' back had star-saws attached, and his scarf became inscribed with archaic letters. His arms were filled with tiny guns with concentrated explosives upon his fingertips. His mask's edges became sharper and bullets straps could be seen across his chest - signifying ammunition.

The Four walked up to Chris and Lifebane, both in their Quattro Arcana: Vajra Mode.

"Our bonds with you are shattered the moment the Seventh Seal is broken...This time, Charred Council...we will make you pay for the crap you have given us!" Death bellowed.

"Uriel! Call the Hellguards to protect the humans that will be revived soon, the Legions of Hell are marching soon!" Chris called out.

"Right! Hellguards, AT ARMS!" Uriel raised her Justice as the Hellguards cheered.

"You think you can defeat us? We are the Charred Councils, the rulers and guardians of balance, we do what is good and what is necessary, even if it means sacrificing the innocents!" the Charred Council bellowed.

"Yeah? Well...then good riddance to you!" Chris smirked.

_**(OST Used: Megaman X5 X vs Zero)**_

"YOU WILL REGRET YOUR TRANSGRESSION, YOU FOOLS! SACRED FIRE!" the Charred Council roared as they rained down huge streams of fire from the skies.

"We don't need you, or your worthless dictation on what is Balance when you cannot even fend for yourselves!" your Chris smirked as she crossed her arms.

_**"Arcana Force: Tranquillity Orb - Fire!"**_

_**Arcana Orb activated - Fire Resistance 70%**_

A huge barrier surrounded the Four and Chris as they charged upon the looming abomination that were the Charred Council's true form.

Chris's liquid nitrogen that circulated inside her bloodstream along with arcane magic allowed her ice to be at Antarctic level, allowing her to charge through the fire barrages with ease along with the Four, shocking the Charred Councils to no end.

_"HELLFIRE STREAK!"_

Fury took out her whip, Inferno Rage, and yelled...

_"HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED!"_

With the power of the Seals at their back, Fury engulfed her Inferno Rage with intense arcane fire of the Abyss ad quickly whipped through the three heads of the Charred Councils' body.

The Whip, though malleable, slashed through the Charred Councils' rocky bodies with absolute ease. Scorching flames seared through their bodies, eating at their magic at every second.

Chris braved the rain and even managed to deflect several streams of fire shots into the face of the Charred Councils. The Icy Maiden dived upon the Center Council, where the latter began for a swiping left hook.

Chris somersaulted in mid-air, managed to dodge it narrowly as she landed on the left arms of the Charred Council, and used her enhanced abilities to sprint towards the abomination's head.

The bodies upon the center Charred Council's left arm attempted to shoot lava shots at Chris, but she simply deflected off like flies to the face.

Chris jumped in the air as a click echoed through the whispering wind. The Icy Maiden fired up her Genesis Flight system and descended upon the Center Charred Council, brandished her merged Arcana Lifebane, sliced across the Council's face with great force, and unleashing a huge vertical ice arc.

The arc's intense arcane body sliced through, crumbled the surfaces of the Center Council's skin, and burrowed deep into its nerves, causing the Council to back down in pain.

Death's Reaper Form soon joined in as Chris as they hovered over the Center Council.

"Care to take the honor, Death? He is yours, after all..." Chris simpered.

"I guess it should be my turn in saying, 'We deal with this freak, together!' huh?" Death gave a short grunt as he transformed into his Reaper Form, glowing green and hot with its intense, Arcane Magic.

The Center council roared as he unleashed another streams of fire from his right and left arm, and his mouth. He also summoned eight orbs around him to shoot at the approaching figures.

Death's Reaper Form and Chris's Quattro Arcana: Vajra Mode danced and evaded the streams of fire energy, constantly looking out and deflecting the orbs shooting towards them one by one.

The Charred Council released a densely charged fire blast upon his mouth.

"Hey, Death! I hope you still remember, since you are one of the oldest beings, why a mouse is scared of an elephant?" Chris simpered.

Death's Reaper Form nodded, "You need to say more?"

Both Chris and Death got close together, building enough arcane magic to surround them in a meteor-like formation, and drilled themselves straight into the energy beam itself.

The concentrated blast scorched their armor and pushed them back initially. However, Chris and Death managed to take back the advantage by propelling themselves with strong arcane propulsion from their Genesis Flight System and Arcane Bone Wings respectively.

Soon enough, Chris and Death managed to neutralise the blast.

Strife, War, and Fury soon joined in.

"Mind if we get a piece of the action?" Fury grinned.

"Sure thing!" both Death and Chris shot out.

The five members flew straight into the Center Council's mouth.

As the team travelled down the Center Council's gullet, War pointed at the huge lump in the Center Council's belly.

"That's its core!" War shot out.

"FULL FORCE!" Death shot out.

The five members hit out full force with their weapons, inflicting enough arcane energy for the core to implode in on itself. The full force of the explosion blew Chris, Death, War, Fury, and Strife back, but they managed to stand their ground amidst their charred injuries.

Lifebane powered down back to Alito, just as the six members viewed the monstrosity that rose from within the lump's ashen remains.

_"You scums...Do you really think that your perspective on Balance will get you to peace? You know nothing about Balance, only I know the meaning of all! I am Balance, and Balance is me!"_

The team could see massive amounts of arcane energy weaved into an intricate network of webs in the belly of the Council itself.

And in front of them lies a molten warrior with four arms and wielding four weapons - a scythe, big blade, a giant gun, and a big whip.

His face was barely recognizable; just the same jaw that the Charred Councils possessed, with big white dots for eyes, and an enraged expression upon his face. His hair stuck out in furiousness and his back has six portals behind his back, spewing intense arcane energy.

"Talk about hideousness...I will be glad we don't have to serve this bigoted cockpiece anymore..." Fury gave a face of disgust as she flared up and transformed into a body of fire with the aura of a phoenix, carrying two whips instead of one.

"According to the scans...this thing is the head core of the Councils - we destroy this, we destroy 'em all." Alito followed.

"Let's put an end to this corrupted Council's misery!" Fury frowned.

War clenched his fists...

"I once am loyal to the Council...only to find out it conspired against me. Today...I will spare no mercy in defeating the one's whom betrayed me for eons on end...and the ones who placed my brother, Death, in so much pain...I have kept this anger inside me...but now, ALL HANDS ARE OFF!" War roared, his eyes glowing red-hot with anger as he transformed into the fearsome Chaos Form - a Balrog of insurmountable power, chaos, blood, and rage.

"That Council can kiss their sweet butts goodbye!" Strife joined his Mercy and Redemption, that he just got back from Death, and merged them to transform into the Punisher Form. His armor became more plated, thicker, and sharper, with multiple scaling layers. His hair grew slightly longer, his eyes glowed white in anger, and his gauntlets became rock hard with multiple scales.

"To think that all of this stands because the Charred Councils are consumed by their own sense of pride; that they think they know what the true meaning of balance is just because killing off innocent beings to stop Abaddon is the best way...this mess, must end!" Chris shot out.

"You fools...suffer for the disobedience, the travesty you have wrought! I'm the one who walks even after death...you cannot defeat me!" the Council's core, which Chris and Alito detected to be what the foe said - Draugr.

The six stepped forth and shot out, "BRING IT ON!"


	40. The Final Charge Part II

_**(Stormrex Lancer's Note: I do not own anything from Darksiders, Darksiders II, Asura's Wrath OST, Megaman X's OST, Vigil Games, and THQ!)**_

_**(Now back to the original schedule of AKB0048's historian writing!)**_

_**Chapter 40 - The Final Charge Part II - Team Darksiders vs Dragur!**_

_(OST Used: Asura's Wrath Soundtrack - Vlitra's revival)_

_**WARNING! WARNING! BOSS FIGHT ENGAGED - DRAUGR**_

_**Morphology: Draugr**_

_**Type: Old One**_

_**Description: Driven by pride, hate, and desperation, Dragur had reached Terminal Delusional Madness Corruption - this is a state where the patient is too mad and delusional into its own beliefs that are clearly designed to sacrifice the needs of many for the needs of the few. **_

_**He can't take back their powers after the Seven Seals were broken. However since Dragur is the originator of the Four Horsemen's power in the first place, it unleash attacks that corresponds to the weapon it is using. **_

_**Most of the time, however, it will attack with crystallized arcane missiles, eruption by slamming his hands on the ground, and streams of lasers by his four hands. He can also propel himself with streams of arcane energy.**_

Draugr roared as he dissolved his weapons into thin air, jumped up in the air, closed his four hands into a spear-like shape, and launched himself as a dive bomb.

Chaos Form War, however, was able to anticipate the upcoming attack, flew in to grab Draugr by the 'spear tip', and swung the abomination into the air. Quattro Arcana Chris, Quattro Arcana, Alito, Reaper Form Death, Punisher Form Strife, and Hellfire Fury jumped into the air and yelled their battle cries as they joined their fists together in one strong, solid punch.

The arcane energy released by the assaulting team was so great that a shockwave was released, shaking the entire web of arcane energy by force. Draugr was thrown back into the far end of the room because of the immense damage he suffered.

The Charred Council's Core materialised a red version of the Harvestor...

"Death...remember the day where I will be your doomsday, you traitor!" Draugr roared as he unleashed three waves of arc slashes, each arc increasing its slash radius.

After the first arc slashes missed them completely, Death powered down, slid past the second arc together with Chris, quickly recovered, transformed back into his Reaper Form, and flew up just in time to deliver a massive uppercut slash across his chest and right under Draugr's chin. The arcane shockwave released after that sent Dragur flying again as his massive size could do nothing to counter the more streamlined built of Strife's Punisher Mode and Fury's Hellfire Mode's grand assault.

_"Taste retribution! Hellfire Bullets: Arcane Comet Strafe!"_

Hellfire Fury unleashed as many bite-sized comets at the same rate that Strife unloaded the silver bullets in his chain gun - Punishment.

The silver bullets infused themselves into the comets and it descended upon the abdominal body of Draugr. The bullets seared, pierced, and shot through the body with high-speed frequency.

War's Chaos Form descended upon Draugr, plunged his Neo-Chaoseater, a long and jagged yellow blade of destruction, into the latter's chest, and threw the latter across the room. The Abomination crashed through several towers of arcane energy.

Dragur roared as he placed his bottom two arms in front of him in a spear-like shape and placed his two upper hands as a jet booster. A powerful burst of arcane energy propelled the monstrosity in front in high speed.

Chris's Project Tundra heard Dragur's roar and scanned through the huge spike of arcane energy in the upper arms.

"DUCK!"

Chris, Strife, Fury, and Reaper Form Death managed to evade the oncoming body rocket attack, leaving War in trying to catch Draugr's attack with his balrog-like hands.

Chaos Form War managed to catch Draugr's rocket attack, but the propulsion managed to push the molten balrog mid-air. The balrog smirked and flapped his wings as he used his two muscular balrog arms, swung the Charred Council's core round and round, and released Draugr as a slingshot towards the rest.

Death used his Harvestor and sliced upon Draugr's two bottom arms that made up the 'spear'. The abomination stopped short and keeled as a result.

"NOW!" Death shot out for Chris.

Chris's Arcana Lifebane glowed blue as long, blazing trails of blue aura engulfed the spirit weapon.

_**"Arcana Force: Tundra Absolute!"**_

Chris slashed left and right, diagonally, delivered an uppercut slash cleaved downwards with an energy arc slash, and then unleashed another powerful slash from left to right.

With every slash unleashed, streaks of blizzard and arc energy slashes danced its way to slice through Draugr's magma body with utmost precision, brute force, and panache. The ice froze through the body parts that it cut through and drained its life away.

Due to the blizzard's immense strength, Draugr was frozen in an arcane ice prison...

"Strife, Fury, on my mark!"

Punisher Strife and Hellfire Fury nodded as they raised their weapons.

Chris gave a short and crisp battle cry as Chris's Arcana Lifebane sliced cleanly through the icy prison, bringing forth another energy arc slash that shattered it.

_"Our marks as siblings! Hellfire Bulletstorm!"_

With her dual-wield Inferno Rage, Fury quickly sliced through Draugr's body while Strife rained down waves of bullets Draugr's way.

Chris raised her left arm and clenched her fists as she manipulated the shattered ice fragments to impale Draugr's body.

Draugr's eyes glowed intensely as he roared and picked herself up as he morphed his four arms as four sharp, flaming talon claws. The Charred Council's core unleashed streams of magma slashes that overwhelmed the entire room.

The Four's alternate form, Chris, and Arcana Lifebane were blown back by the slashes, but their strong armor, though charred, allowed them to stand their ground in solid pace.

"This enemy is stubborn!" Fury frowned.

"The damage we dished out upon him is high enough, charge on!" Death's Reaper Form shot out.

"Getting close; it's too late to back off now!" Chris gritted her teeth as she clutched her right arm with her left hand.

"Only I can make fun of War's armor, but you backstabbing my brother's back as this abomination? I will screw you hard!" Strife frowned.

Draugr spread his two bottom arms out wide and closed in with two powerful lasers into a cross.

Chris, Strife, Fury, and Death managed to get up on their feet quickly and fly away as they dodged the lasers. War charged past the dense lasers, unleashed a powerful cleave across Draugr's chest and pushed the abomination away with a towering shockwave from the cleave itself.

Draugr quickly got up, made a huge leap towards the other side of the room, landed behind their backs meters away, and quickly materialised a crystallised menhir to shoot towards Death, Fury, and Strife.

Chris's eyes glowed blue once more as she teleported in front and grabbed the menhir using all her might with her buffed up Arcana Ice Gauntlets, a big arcane gauntlet made of crystallised ice.

The menhir's corrosive aura burned through the Arcana Gauntlets, but Chris gave a loud war cry as her gauntlets' arcane tattoos glowed bright blue and exerted her very strength to swing the menhir back towards the beast before he could react.

Such abilities came with a price - her gauntlets became charred blue as her shoulder's canisters popped out to ventilate steam immensely.

"Awesome...such is a human's determination to get things done!" Fury's eyes widened.

"Trust me; you haven't seen the half of what Chris can do that made me respect her as a whole." Death grunted.

"Really?" Strife raised his eyes.

"I'm in no humour for your sarcasm; I mean it." Death nodded.

"Hey, not complaining, ya know-it-all!" Strife huffed.

_"Besides...she and that Alito helped Death saved War's arse. Granted...War is still ridiculous looking, but I rather have my brother safe, after...we're still family." _ Strife grunted as he thought about it.

"I am down without heavy attacks for the next thirty seconds!" Chris shot out as she entered cooldown mode and unleashed several blast of ice shards to keep the beast away.

Draugr roared as he materialised a magma version of the Chaoseater and plunged it down the earth with his four huge, magma arms. Six rows of towering magma came rushing towards them.

"Stand back!" Fury shot out as she stood in front of Death, Chris, War, and Strife, spread out her arms, and released a powerful fire barrier.

_**"Overdrive: Prominence Flare!"**_

Fury's fire barrier successfully neutralised the oncoming magma towers to restore some of the team member's charred and slash wounds.

"Thanks, Fury!" Chris nodded.

"Just because I'm of the fire element, doesn't mean I can't get along with people who controlled ice! Thanks for saving War, by the way!" Fury winked.

"Always be happy to reunite a loss member from the family..." Chris nodded softly.

Draugr roared and leapt into the air for another dive bomb, but Strife's Punishment transformed into a huge rocket launcher with a huge single barrel.

_"Hey, I heard you like rockets, so I fry 'em for you! PHOTON BURST!"_

Strife's Punisher Form pulled the trigger from his Punishment to unleash a huge, hard-hitting white blast filled with scorching arcane energy. The dense energy blasts pried open the spear-like front and blast Draugr back.

Chris, Death, Strife, Fury, and Alito, who powered down from her spirit weapon, joined their fists in another one strong, solid punch.

War's Chaos Form jumped over the sailing Draugr, landed just meters before Draugr's back and delivered an intense right punch. The Red Rider concentrated a high amount of anger upon his right fist and released a huge, red energy blast and sending the monstrosity crashing over the other side of the room once more.

Draugr materialised a powerful, charred version of the Punishment, plunged the barrel on the ground and roared.

_"Anything you can do...I can do it better, in the name of the Balance!"_

Multiple circles scattered through the battlefield, with five circles laying right under the Four and Chris's feet.

Chris scanned the area quickly and saw that there were gaps in between the circles.

"Gaps in between circles!" Chris shot out as the Four moved in between the circles, but not before War quickly powered down from his Chaos Form temporarily.

They managed to dodge past the towers, and managed to dodge the following wave under them. For the next six waves, Chris, Fury, and Strife managed to weave past the gaps in between circles.

The three members nodded as Chris rose above Strife and Fury. Strife quickly brought out Punishment and unleashed a barrage of energy blasts towards Draugr, the force of the arcane barrage managed to break the abomination's guard.

Alito powered down from her weapon form and shot out, "My Lady, Fury, ya ready?"

"RIGHT!" Chris and Fury nodded as the trio women dived down and combined the auras that surrounded their bodies into a huge white and orange drill brought together by a green aura.

_"Tri Attack: Drill Blitz!"_

The streams of fire, ice, and wind rained upon Draugr's body as the drill pierced through the abomination.

Chris, Alito and Fury high-fived one another.

"That should prove people that hot and cold can go together!" Fury winked.

"That's what one of the many definitions of balance, and not just Draugr's one-minded theory!" Chris nodded.

"But seriously...thanks for helping my brother in overcoming his guilt and saving War. Alito, you too!" Fury simpered.

"Thanks, Fury..." Chris and Alito nodded.

Draugr struggled to get up by standing on his two large arms, who were struggling on their own.

"You...believe that balance...has many meaning?" Draugr frowned as he faced the Four Horsemen, Arcana Quattro Chris, and Arcana Quattro Alito.

"You will never understand, Draugr. There are many ways we can achieve Balance without unnecessary death upon the innocents, or worse...betraying yourself by backstabbing and blackmailing your teammates or colleagues!" Chris shot out.

"You scum...You have never known who the Four Horsemen really are! They kill their kin heartlessly...so you should be the one who kill them!" Draugr roared.

"'They'? Yeah right...them? Death killed them because of Corruption, and Lilith is the creator of Corruption! The Corruption was mercilessly slaughtering every innocent being in the name of Eden! I would have killed any merciless team members too!" Chris snarled.

"Then what will happen...if Corruption infected your parents as well? Will you kill them? Will you slay them, just like Death did?" Draugr smirked.

Chris's eyes widened, her hands began trembling slightly as she broke into a slight cold sweat.

"Put yourself in a position...Your parents, infected with Corruption, killing everyone mercilessly! What would you do? Will you kill them? Or will you stay your hand, because you love them so much? What if there is no other ways, except killing them via that?" Draugr continued, coughing out blood.

"Chris, he's messing with your mind!" Death shot out.

Chris looked down as her aura started fading, but she soon remembered what her mother's last words...

_"Please...for the Fuschia's last will...Protect...Protect the innocent...Self before others..."_

_She knew it was hard..._

_She knew that she loved her parents very much...even her cousins, her relatives - everyone._

_However, what did her parent taught her about? Choosing her path._

_When she was four, she always helped others before self, not through force, but because she believed in making people happy._

_No matter the troubles she gone through, she would do her very best to contribute to society in the best ways possible and that included, but not limited to, helping the innocent beings with whatever they can._

Seeing their smiles...

Helping the children...

Building things that can benefit the automobile industries and society.

Not for praises, but because she knew, in her heart..._**she can.**_

Yes, her parents and her relatives might have contributed to Chris's decision; they too love to help people.

However, Chris knew why she loved to help innocent members.

Not because Chris was forced to do so...

Not because out of guilt...

But because Chris loved it in the beginning.

That was what they had left Chris with - a legacy...

A legacy to build up...

That was when she finally realized, the last will - protecting humankind from heartless morons, natural disasters, and the lot - was not what the Fuschias wanted her to do...

It was the Fuschia's way of encouraging her to stay true to her roots - making her own choice based on her heart; on what she believed

"I love my parents..." Chris admitted.

Draugr smirked, and the Four gave looks of slight disappointment.

"That is why if they are Corrupted...I will kill them..." Chris replied.

Everyone's eyes widened. Even Samael, who was listening outside the skies via his omnipotence, widened his eyes.

_"What...Kill her parents...why?" _Samael frowned.

Back in the belly...

"Ever since I am young...I always love helping the people around me to the best of my abilities. It makes the whole family and I happy just to see people's smile on their faces every day. They love me, because I am who I am; I choose who I want to be! If -in the event of Corruption - I stay my hand, I know I will feel the Fuschia's disappointment because I am going against what I am in the first place! I will dishonor myself!" Chris clenched her fists.

"I love my parents and that is why, if there is no other options, I will kill them and continue to hold my liking in protecting innocent peoples with both of my hands! There is no worst feeling then to betray myself for who I am and ending up disappointing my parents forevermore! I believe in preventing the innocent beings from meeting my history, because this...THIS IS WHO I AM!" Chris shot out, her eyes glowing blue with determination as she grabbed her right hand on Alito's left.

"And I know that in the end...I have my lover to help me achieve my aim, because she has the same thought as mine!" Chris declared.

Alito beamed. "My Lady..."

Chris looked over to Alito and nodded.

"Promise me, Alito...When we find out the meaning of humanity and if it is our fault that our loved ones died...no matter the results, will you confess to me again? As our new us?" Chris simpered.

"Yes...Yes, I do!" Alito nodded with intent, a smile of determination spread across her face.

_"I might not know what emotion is...but I sure as hell am going to find it too..." _Chris nodded.

The Four Horsemen nodded softly, especially War.

"You have never gone against who you are all along, Chris. This is who you are...a warrior of honor." War softly placed his right hand on Chris's left shoulder.

"War...I mean, you only get to know me for just less than a day..." Chris's eyes widened.

"You did what once...a coward did not." War nodded.

"Besides, we Nephilims can see a human's emotion, you spoke the truth!" Fury simpered.

"Remember, Chris and Alito...your aim is finding solace and when you're done, the meaning of humanity. You made this choice and those are what your parents want you to be!" Death nodded.

"I normally don't like sarcastic bastards...but even I know when he is speaking the truth." Strife nodded.

"What did you say?" Death looked at Strife with weary eyes.

Strife facepalmed himself, "You hear me? I am praising you! God dammit..."

"I heard you saying that I'm a sarcastic bastard..." Death frowned.

"Because that's what you are most of the time!" Strife snarled.

"Hey, hey, HEY!" Fury flared.

Death and Strife looked at the Rider of the Black Horse.

"Look, you can bicker later after we get rid of the Council and the Dark Legion, yeah?" Fury frowned.

Strife and Death looked at Fury, then at Chris, then at Alito, and then back at themselves.

"Let's save humanity first, then we will fight about it later..." Death frowned.

"Right...lets!" Strife grunted.

"You...imbeciles..." said the Council's Core as he combined his version of Chaoseater, Harvestor, Punishment, and Inferno Rage together into charging energy ball, "I STILL CLAIM THE BALANCE RIGHT!"

Alito transformed into Arcana Lifebane once more as Chris pointed her left index finger straight at the Council's Core.

"Know this...you corrupt Council...Balance has many favors...I learn now...NOTHING IN THIS WORLD IS ABSOLUTE, APART FROM HEARTLESS MORONS LIKE YOU DO!"

Chris and the Four Horsemen charged into Draugr's intense arcane energy, surrounding themselves in an aura of Blue (Chris), Green (Alito), Pale Green (Death), Dark Orange (Fury), Lava Red (War), and White (Strife).

The two energy attacks collided, shaking the entire belly's foundation and even crumbling several pillars of thick arcane energy that held up the Council's Belly.

A huge energy indent burst through the ground, as both sides are not letting up in the power struggle.

However, with the Four's newfound respect for Humanity, thanks to Chris and Alito's effort in helping Death rescuing War, the multi-coloured meteor attack managed to propel in front and with a shout, burst through the thick lasers.

The shocked Draugr could not do anything but to be struck in the body by Chris, Alito (as Arcana Lifebane), Death, Fury, War, and Strife's unity attack.

The entire battlefield burst into shockwaves of destruction as more pillars were crumbling by the seconds.

"Draugr...you are a pain to us, a pain to humanity, and a pain to the entire Balance!" Chris screamed.

"You betrayed my brother, tortured him for the wrongs he had not done, and you should know that Corruption threatened all of Creation instead of balancing it! This is your end!" Death followed.

"This time...vengeance will be mine, for your portrayal of betrayal you have wrought upon me!" War bellowed.

"It's not we, but you, who will burn in the Flames of Judgement!" Fury flared.

"Your philosophies about the Balance can go to Hell for all we care, you snobby, stuck-up, useless, conceited, backstabbing egoist!" Strife roared.

"Balance is not absolute, Draugr! There are many meanings to it, but killing innocents for the sake of the Balance is certainly not one of them! It is doing things without losing sense of who you are!" Arcana Lifebane echoed.

The six shot out in unison, "YOU HAVE GONE WAY TOO FAR WITH YOURS, FOR YOU ARE THE TRUE BETRAYER; BLINDED BY YOUR PRIDE!"

The final combined blast from the meteor attack burned Dragur's body. Its bones smothered and reduced to particles of smoke, his cruel heart shrivelled and crumbled to ashes, and his body became nothing more than a fuel for a core explosion.

_**Remnants of the Black Tower - Where the battle took place**_

The Charred Councils keeled and roared as they breathed their last in the sacred planet of Earth. Their bodies exploded and became nothing more than crumbled rock dust, leaving behind six warriors with charred bodies, slash wounds, scars upon their legs, scars upon their shoulders, blood dripping out of their shoulders and back, and even bruises across their chests and legs.

"We still have two more to go...and we know who they are..." Death frowned.

Thanks to the power of the seven seals and the two Maidens' Arcana Cardio systems, they regenerate enough health back to face their next adversary with straighten backs despite their injuries.

_Samael..._

The Blood Prince, now fully awakened thanks to War's earlier help in restoring his full power for entry into the Black Tower, clapped his hand slyly.

"Wonderful...wonderful...So, Death...this is the 'Humans' you have said that made you respect humanity, even though they deny it, yes?" Samael frowned.

Death, knowing the argument he had with Samael when the former went back in time to get the Demon Key via the Phasewalker, frowned.

The Four Horsemen, Arcana Quattro Chris, and Arcana Quattro Alito turned their back and frowned.

"So...this is the Samael that Death was talking about." Chris frowned.

The six members stood face to face with the blood Prince itself as the Heavens and Earth raged into a boiling war once more in the cloudy, fiery skies of darkness, with only rays of light piercing through the murkiness.

_**With Lilith killed, only two of the major demons remained.**_

_**With their newfound respect for Humanity, will the Four Horsemen temporarily ally Heaven's attempt to protect Earth?**_

_**Their energies might be restored thanks to the Seven Seals, Arcana Quattro Cardio Systems, their new powers, and resolve...**_

_**However, the team were still bearing injuries, bruises, blood wounds, and slash wounds. **_

_**Given Samael's power, any mistakes will offset any regenerated energy and adding further grievances to their injuries.**_

_**The Four Horsemen will not die thanks to the Four Seals, but what about Chris and Alito?**_

_**Can they defeat Samael?**_

_**Or will their journey ends here?**_

_**Find out in the next episode of 'Darksiders: Frozen Assets' in...**_

_**Chapter 41: The Final Charge Part III - Team Darksiders vs Samael - OPERATIONAL MODE ON!**_


	41. The Final Charge Part III

_**Chapter 41: The Final Charge Part III - **__Team Darksiders vs Samael - OPERATIONAL MODE ON!_

_(Author for this chapter: Makoto Yokomizo)_

_**Last time on Darksiders: Frozen Assets**_

_**The Charred Councils keeled and roared as they breathed their last in the sacred planet of Earth. Their bodies exploded and became nothing more than crumbled rock dust, leaving behind six warriors with charred bodies, slash wounds, scars upon their legs, scars upon their shoulders, blood dripping out of their shoulders and back, and even bruises across their chests and legs.**_

_**"We still have two more to go...and we know who they are..." Death frowned.**_

_**Thanks to the power of the seven seals and the two Maidens' Arcana Cardio systems, they regenerate enough health back to face their next adversary with straighten backs despite their injuries.**_

_**Samael...**_

_**The Blood Prince, now fully awakened thanks to War's earlier help in restoring his full power for entry into the Black Tower, clapped his hand slyly.**_

_**"Wonderful...wonderful...So, Death...this is the 'Humans' you have said that made you respect humanity, even though they deny it, yes?" Samael frowned.**_

_**Death, knowing the argument he had with Samael when the former went back in time to get the Demon Key via the Phasewalker, frowned.**_

_**The Four Horsemen, Arcana Quattro Chris, and Arcana Quattro Alito turned their back and frowned.**_

_**"So...this is the Samael that Death was talking about." Chris frowned.**_

_**The six members stood face to face with the blood Prince itself as the Heavens and Earth raged into a boiling war once more in the cloudy, fiery skies of darkness, with only rays of light piercing through the murkiness.**_

_**Remnants of the Black Tower**_

Samael crossed his arms as he spread his upside-down vampire wings wide.

"You...I have observed you and Alito in my Omniscience...To think that you are able to get the Four's respect and destroy the Charred Councils with them. You humans...I can never get you." the Blood Prince frowned.

"What makes you think...Alito and I are humans?" Chris frowned.

Samael took a deep breath. "I am just as curious as you...No, I really am."

The six members frowned.

"To be honest, even in my most ambivalent demonic craftiness and cunning, I have never understood what was the point of Balance, the Council's Law, or even Honor's essence. But...but there is something about you and your lover that might get me intrigued." Samael frowned.

"Is it one of your tricks again Samael?" War frowned.

"I am serious when I am, Red Rider!" Samael roared, his fists crackled with lightning and fire.

"The Crowfather had told us about your plans...Samael. You ain't fooling us." Chris frowned.

Samael laughed haughtily, his thunderous roar rumbled the heavens and shook even the furthest of Hellguard, though the six members stood their ground handily.

"Of course...but you know what? What is the point of being the strongest of the strong anyways? I have wondered, what can I do as a demonic leader...aside from creating chaos and blood? Sooner or later, those things have to calm down, but because I am far too strong I will be way too bored..." Samael sighed and shook his head.

"You said your power is comparable to a god, and that you could kill us with the quickest breath." War frowned.

"I have fought against the Four for period's time over the millennias, unleashing my full power among them and grew bored at it, because nothing exciting comes out of it. But this time...this time, I sense something is about to be different." he admitted.

"However...back to what I am talking about how you and Alito got me intrigued. I want the both of you, and the four, to fight me!" Samael cracked his knuckles.

"What? Fight you?!" Fury's eyes widened.

"I have reasons, of course. I have a feeling what I said about not believing other people, other than words...might be proven wrong, because of what I have overheard outside earlier and something that welled up in both you and Alito." Samael frowned.

"You overheard us?" Strife frowned.

"But I want to know what it was..." Samael frowned.

"Why?" Chris frowned.

He continued. "Humans always love to compete with each other, just like demons. They love to take things away and make people suffer just for the heck of it. Humans love to dominate and look down upon others that they see as weak and like demons, they desire stuff of value. You know glit? Yeah...that. However, something...something about the both of you tells me that you are human...though I can't put my hands on why. You are humans, but you claimed yourselves to be not human, and yet you have something that made me realized that humans might have an edge..." Samael frowned. "If not...why can you defeat Lilith even when Death is your ally?"

"That, and I can sense the Four's new respect for humans, which makes me wonder all the more why. I have never been wrong in my life regarding the similarities between humans and us...That is why I must have this fight, to determine why!" Samael continued.

"If that is the case, Humans should have been demons...but we know that they ain't as heartless and dominating as all the demon races! That's what separates them from you!" Chris frowned.

"Besides, humans don't need gods or demons to rule over them! They can live in harmony and in peace, and we don't need your rule over them and screw 'em up big time! Higher beings are there to help, to guide, and not to dominate and make people suffer!" Alito frowned.

Samael straightened up and chuckled. "Yes...Even though I never see the both of you until now, I can feel your growth strength in strength when you were travelling with Death and fighting off Corruption. Don't you want to find the meaning of Humanity? Then you will have to fight me first!" Samael smirked.

Chris and Alito turned to the Four and tilted their heads, wondering.

Then the Pale Rider spoke, "Chris and Alito...The Earth have suffered for much too long...Demons and Angels are causing Chaos, and the Earth is indeed sick from the conflict, but the Council's definition of Balance had made us stay our hands for far too long. We remaining Nephilims' job is to protect Humanity and fight against the Darkness."

"But ain't you all supposed to pass judgement on those that schemed with Abaddon in breaking the peace on Earth?" Chris wondered.

"We can worry about that later. If Samael is not defeated, we will never even get to see judgement on those that schemed against me..." War frowned.

The six members turned to face Samael...

"Only one team gets to walk away today..." Chris frowned.

"Rest assured, I will make it a fight you will regret, because I will prove that I am right..." Samael covered himself with darkness, fire, and lightning as he transformed into a more muscular, bigger, version of himself. "AND YOU ARE WRONG!"

His skin became ashen grey. He has black scaly armor upon his body's left half, the scars upon his left armor glowed red-hot with abyssal fire, his greaves became ashen with grey, and so did his black gauntlets. His claws have become sharper and looked deadlier than before.

Samael's true power possessed two large, purple, upside-down vampire wings with one small expansion of wings in each of its side. His four devil horns by his extended and wrapped around like a ram horn. His chin grew a small beard, and his demonic tattoos upon his body glowed. His eyes glowed red-hot with electricity sparkling around his body.

His gauntlet, which has gold highlights, became charred grey, and his long purple reptilian tail became longer with nails pierced upon its tip. His bottom-half robe covered his right half of his legs; tattered, grey, and flowing with the wind. The chains, spikes, and skeleton ornaments upon his waist belt clanked and glowed with dark arcane magic.

"Come face me, at my true power, so that I may know what is it that humans have and we demons do not!" Samael roared, unleashing a huge arcane shockwave that nearly blew the team away.

_**Morphology: Samael (Destructor Form)**_

_**Type: Demon Overlord**_

_**Size: Big**_

_**Element: Darkness, Electric, Fire**_

_**Description: This is Samael at its strongest form. This form claimed that it could kill the Four Horsemen with his immense arcane energy. It is known to dual-wield elements, and it is capable for high-speed flights that can act as teleportation. Its attack carries a lot of damage, and he is extremely cunning. Not much is to be known about this demonic creature, except that it can attack with huge fireballs, teleport straight to people with fast sweeping manoeuvres, and has extremely high durability."**_

Samael's Destructor Form raised his right bare hand as a huge building levitated beside the Red Demon.

"I have the strength that can match you six...May the least hopeless win!" Samael roared as he threw the huge building as a javelin towards the five members - Alito transformed into Arcana Lifebane once more.

The six members promptly scattered, but Samael teleported straight towards Chris, smirking.

Chris frowned, predicting that Samael will teleport to her because the Blood Prince wanted to find out about her. The Arcana Icy Maiden delivered a swift kick towards the Blood Prince's electrically charged left slash. A huge shockwave rattled through the air, destroying the Black Tower's Crumbled pillars.

"What?!" Samael's eyes widened as he saw that despite feeling Chris's apparent pain from the clash, she was able to bit her tongue and resist it. The Blood Prince could also see an aura's apparition that represents a kimono-based woman - Kako Takafuji.

Distracted by the aura, Samael found his attack parried, kicked in the chest, and slashed several times across his arms and limbs.

_**Right leg damaged - Intense Arcane Energy from Samael's Destructor Form must have been the cause - Healing process starting now. **_- The Project Tundra beeped.

The Blood prince crashed down into the Black Tower's huge tower, his eyes astonished by Chris's power and determination.

"Though her legs are hurt through my left slash...she still resists it like no other." Samael frowned. "And what is the apparition that I saw just now? Could it be that aura that gave the determination, and the willpower she needs?"

Death, in his Reaper Form, descended upon the skies in high-speed, and ready to cleave the Blood Prince.

Samael quickly blocked the Harvestor with his left arm, but he was not smiling this time.

Thanks to the Seven Seals' powers, the Four Horsemen's strengths grew leaps and bounds, allowing an even edge with Samael. The Blood Prince knew about that fact, however, he was even more than surprised when he _experienced it_. He knew it would be exceedingly strong...but not THAT strong.

Samael roared and unleashed a shockwave that broke the tie. His eyes glared with hot yellow eyes as the team reunited once more.

"So...you lots decided to go full force on me with the power of the Seven Seals. Chris and Alito...you're going no holds barred as well with that aura filled with icicle energy..." Samael frowned.

"Aura?" Chris and Alito raised their eyes.

"You can't see it...but I can see it..." Samael frowned. "A woman with a kimono around her."

Chris frowned. _"Kako...Kako Takafuji..."_

"Show me what you got!" Samael roared as he disappeared and appeared behind the team's back. The Four Horsemen managed to dispersed just in time, leaving Chris and Alito to deliver a collaboration punch upon Samael's fire-imbued punch.

A huge burst of arcane energy began to build up as a deadlock ensued, cracking the ground beneath them. The surge of energy dissipated into the air blew the Four Horsemen back in the skies, where they managed to hold their stances after getting to grips with the strong burst.

Chris and Alito winced as they felt the searing abyssal flame, combined with Samael's true strength as the Destructor, straining their arms despite being in an extremely resistant Arcana Quattro Mode. However, the memories of their parents and their determination to protect innocent beings allowed the two Maidens the slight edge.

With a short, sharp shout, Chris and Alito's eyes glowed intensely and punched through Samael's right fists, breaking the tie and forcing the Blood Prince into a stagger. With a quick close in, Alito transformed into Arcana Lifebane and Chris's delivered her Arcana Force: Tundra Absolute. When the icy prison surrounded an astounded Samael, the Four Horsemen closed with punches from their Abyssal Armor, shattering the Icy Prison that held the Blood Prince.

The Blood Prince quickly teleports just as Chris was about to throw the Icy Javelin, but Chris's Project Tundra Arcane Tracker managed to pinpoint Samael's signature and turn a one-eighty to throw the Ice Javelins straight towards the Demon's face!

The Blood Prince deflected it with his vampire wings, but Chaos Form War quickly flew to Samael during an opening and delivered a massive triple slash down Samael's body. Chris followed with a powerful cleave that unleashed a huge icicle energy arc which sent the Blood Prince straight down to the Black Tower once more.

Samael roared as he summoned sixteen fireballs and threw towards the six members.

The team members dispersed to dodge around the fireballs efficiently. Moving up down, left, right, twirling around, and even making angular turns to avoid all the fireballs narrowly.

"He's faster than before in dishing out these craps!" Chris frowned.

Death swooped down to deliver a powerful cleave, but Samael summoned a powerful fiery barrier with enough arcane energy to blast the Reaper Form off. The Blood Prince cackled as he created a big electrical fireball and threw it straight towards the Reaper Form Death.

"DEATH!" Chris teleported in front of Reaper Form Death thanks to Arcana Teleport and managed to neutralise the fireball with a huge swing with her merged Arcana Lifebane. Death's Reaper Form quickly flew over to Samael's face and slashed him hard, much to the latter's astonishment.

Fury got ready to use her Inferno Rage to whip Samael just as he came sailing, but the latter managed to teleport and grabbed Fury by her face.

Chris quickly teleported over towards Samael's neck and slashed over his shoulders. After the Icy Maiden leapt off, Fury delivered a powerful Inferno kick straight upon the Blood Price's heavy skull, sending him flying to a Punisher Form Strife to be blasted by a powerful barrage of Soul Silver Bullets.

The Soul Silver Bullets sliced and exploded within the sinews and flesh of the hardy, reptilian skin that Samael's Destructor Form possessed.

"Let's see if you can bravely come forward with THIS!" Samael roared as he summoned six dark orbs, three on each side, which shot out intense dark lasers streaming towards the six members.

_**Dark orbs are connected towards Samael. It can be extremely powerful but suffer one major flaw - if all six orbs were destroyed, Samael cannot move not teleport for 30 seconds.**_

Samael stretched out his palms and unleashed fireballs after fireballs to ensure that the team would have a hard time dodging.

The Fireballs quickly approached the team members in a DNA-cum Double helix formation. As the Four Horsemen and Chris dodged through the incoming fireballs and the linear lasers with multiple barrel rolls, the lasers unleashed branched out into streams of energy beam that flexed its way towards the team.

Chris unleashed rapid-fire Arcana Ice Shards and Fury unleashed rapid-fire Hellfire Shots towards the right half, while Strife let loose an immense amount of Soul Silver Bullets towards the left half. Chris's Tranquillity Orb - Fire and the Sunder's Shielding ability helped mitigate the damage the Four Horsemen received.

Both Chaos Form War and Reaper Form Death descended upon Samael while deflecting and dodging through the Fireballs. The Pale Rider crossed his arms, summoned a strong Aegis Guard with an intense lightning armor, and flew straight in front of War to tank the huge lasers coming War's way. While the former managed to deflect most lasers, a few lasers that managed to surprise him through rebounds, but Death's Aegis Guard managed to keep him on target.

"I got you!" Samael smirked as he charged a powerful flaming left hook towards Reaper Form Death. The Pale Rider, however, smirked as he suddenly flew straight up the air, surprising the Blood Prince just as War's Chaos Form delivered an intense left punch upon Samael's skull and a huge impale upon the Blood Prince's chest.

Samael attempted to grab Chaos Form War by his face, but a huge surge of intense pain slammed upon his spine like a human under a large ringing bell; Fury, Strife, Chris, and Alito (as Arcana Lifebane) managed to destroy the six orbs on Samael's side.

"FULL FORCE!" Chris yelled as the teammates joined their attacks into a powerful four-in-one weapon burst.

Samael's Destructor Form quickly recovered his stance just in time to block Chris's Scythe attack with his bare hands. The Icy maiden slashed continually to find an opening while Samael's Destructor Form managed to block every slash that the former threw.

Samael smirked and roared as he released a huge burst of electrical shockwave that blew Chris back in the air. The Blood Prince took this chance to teleport behind Chris's back to strike her, but the Icy Maiden managed to turn around and kicked Samael in the kisser before he could land a left hook.

With her Genesis Flight System, Chris applied enough pressure to maintain the kick attack. Samael placed his right foot behind his back and slowly took one-step in front with his left foot, unleashing torrents of fire and lightning energy in a clash once more. Chris frowned as she was pushed back bit by bit, no thanks to Samael's immense demonic strength in his Destructor Form, but still gritted her teeth as she applied even more propulsion towards her Genesis Flight.

Samael grinned - he thought he had the upper advantage thanks to his raw power, but failed to notice that he was stepping over a mine that Strife's Punisher Form had placed during the clash!

_***KABOOM!***_

Not an ordinary bomb that humans used, the Expulsion Bomb that Strife created during his service to the Charred Council unleashed loads of firepower straight towards the Blood Prince's body. The Blood Prince's concentration got interrupted by the explosion and was thus kicked back into the far end of a crumbling Black Tower's pillar.

Samael tried to stand up, but the shrapnels attached on his body after the Expulsion Bomb's detonation beeped upon Strife's command and exploded with vicious velocity. The explosion tore through the blood vessels,, muscles, and the bones of Samael's armor, making him stagger at astonishment.

"So...even you, Strife, have grown way stronger than I have imagined, even with the Seven Seals' power..." Samael frowned.

Chris instantly teleported straight towards Samael and the latter quickly parried and attempted a sweeping left kick. The Icy Maiden quickly read, though her HUD, where most of Samael's Arcane Energies were going and quickly blocked the kick with her scythes' hilt and palms.

The shockwave caused by the kick, caused Chris to keeled temporarily, lending Samael a chance to deliver a swift left punch, but Chris gritted her teeth, stood her ground, and quickly crossed her arms in front while covering it with Arcana Ice. Despite blocking the punch, the electric-fire shockwave pierced through Chris's back and sent her back tumbling across the floor. Fury managed to catch the Icy Maiden just in time with the Hellfire Whip.

Samael summoned a humongous Red Fireball covered with dark energy and threw it.

_"IT WAS THE DESTINY FOR THE DEMONS TO RULE OVER THE HUMANS! CHAOS NOVA!"_

Alito powered down, joined in with the Four Horsemen and Chris, and charged towards the Chaos Sphere. With their battle cries and glowing auras, they released punches at immense speed and broke through the Chaos Sphere, shocking Samael. The Blood Prince attempted to counter with a right hand but the team managed to find an opening, ducked down, and...

"HERE'S OUR NEW FOUND RESPECT FOR HUMANS, IN YOUR FACE!"

The six members punched through Samael's thick skull with a huge hook, releasing a huge burst of shockwave that intensified the cracking damage, and sending the Blood Prince towards another crumbling pillar flying. Chris quickly flew up, plunged the Arcana Lifebane into Samael's weakened body, and launched a slingshot swing into a crumbling pillar in front of the Icy Maiden.

Strife detonated another Expulsion Bomb that exploded and Samael flying towards the team once more. Death swung his Harvestor, but Samael gritted his teeth and swiftly teleported in a puff of dark smoke.

"You're finished; I will take you out first, Pale Rider!" Samael roared as he appeared behind the Reaper's back.

"Not yet, you motherfucker!" Chris and Alito teleported towards the Reaper's Front, closed their eyes, concentrated their arcane ice and wind energy through their elbows, opened up their eyes, and released a surge of blue and green energies as lasers through the Pale Rider's body and into Samael's head.

The huge burst of energy through Samael's head blew him back, causing him to spit blood at the amount of damage he incurred. Just as he was about to stand his ground, however, War came in with a huge swipe across Samael's chest and sent him crashing into the ground just meters away from the team.

Samael wiped off the blood upon his face and grunted.

"So...you really believe that humans can rule the Earth by themselves, even without the rules of either demons or angels? Without demons to trample over them, they will be like blind sheep without a leader! Humans are essentially like us, you will never get it!" Samael roared.

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" Chris flared up as she and Alito teleported straight towards a shocked Samael and punched him with a left swing upon his face, releasing another powerful blizzard shockwave. The Blood Prince, defiant, poised himself to resist the attack once more, but Chris and Alito could feel a new surge of resolve filling their core.

"Humans have bad times." Samael taunted.

"But we have seen people helping one another in times of disasters!" Chris and Alito shot back.

"Humans will mock people based in their choices and opinions..." Samael shot back.

"But there are humans who stood up against them and protect them!" the two maidens interjected.

"They are cunning and stab people in the back at times." Samael frowned.

"Yes they are, but we have seen people who are willing to encourage people in times of needs in the events of tyranny!" the two maidens shot back.

"You know that some people do not care for the well-being for others…" Samael bellowed.

"We have seen people giving aids in times of terrorists' attacks! We have seen people doing even the simplest things like giving up seats for others, and even helping to encourage people in times of needs!" the two maidens rebutted.

"Humans are irresponsible…just like us demons!" Samael concluded.

"We have even seen people taking responsibility in their works and their team without blaming others!" the two Maidens followed.

"We might not know the meaning of humanity, but we sure as hell am not going to mope around and do fuck all; we are going to find the true meaning of it and decide if it is our fault that our parents' died!" Chris decalred.

"YOU WON'T JUDGE THE SINS OF ALL BY THE SINS OF A BLOODY FEW!"

The Nephilims' Blood that were medicated into Chris and Alito's bloodstream temporarily found a clear entrance to merge with their human blood, sending their entire systems into massive overdrive...

_**"Overdrive System: ONLINE."**_

_**"Restrain Command: OFF."**_

_**"Operational Mode: ON!"**_

A huge explosion caused Samael to sent tumbling towards a huge wall behind him; the remaining wall on the Black Tower.

The smoke dispersed as Samael saw the form that Chris and Alito took, and his eyes widened.

The Four cleared the smoke and widened their eyes too.

Chris and Alito's aura took on another entity together.

Chris's aura hair became extremely long, with an icy blue tint, with an ice crown upon her head.

Her forehead outline formed a diamond, which spreads out to form an intricate tattoo among which extended to her eyebrows.

Her armour outline became a strapless gown that had a velvety texture, metallic breastplate, and white cloth shoulder pads. Ribbons made of cloth could be seen flowing on the center part of the dress itself.

Her neck, where she wore her family necklace, transformed into a necklace outline with ice crystals joined to one diamond that sparkled with earnest...

Her eyes had become navy blue, with scribbles of data engraved upon it, signifying that it was configuring the mechanical augmentations of her new powers and hardware...

And lastly, a majestic piece of icy blue cloth flowed out of her back like a curtain...

As for Alito, her hair became long and silvery. Strips of ribbons were connected to her armour that was a pale-green strapless dress with intricate patterns of lines forming into the symbol of the wind, and branching out to flow glowing 'branches'.

Her forehead had an emerald where it gave off a warm glow.

Her necklace transformed into a scale-like necklace giving off a magical glow...

_"So that is a human being's determination...the stubbornness, yet steel-willed determination of a human being...that I have always hear them Councils rambling about..." _Samael widened his eyes, and frowned.

"Good...good! Now things are finally getting interesting! GIVE ME YOUR BEST SHOT!" Samael roared as he unleashed streams of fire and electric beams towards the six members.

Chris and Alito managed to dodge quickly left and right, rose and dived below oncoming lasers, barrel-rolled their way out of homing streams of energy, and teleported straight towards Samael's Destructor mode to deliver a swift upper under his chin!

A swift, crisp crack upon the Blood Demon's skull echoed through the dark, demonic air, and even getting nearby Hellguards' attention, including Uriel.

"This force...that must be the determination...the flaring, unlimited determination of humanity given to life through arcane magic..." Uriel frowned.

Samael roared once more and teleported behind Chris and Alito. The two maidens swiftly turned towards their back and deliver a convincing punch, which Samael promptly teleported. However, Chris and Alito smirked as they swiftly drew their fists back, turned towards their left, and delivered a powerful hook that connected where the Blood Prince was teleporting towards!

The force threw Samael back several strides, stunned.

"Fake out…You managed a fake out…" Samael gritted his teeth.

Death's Reaper Form appeared above the Blood Prince and swung the Harvestor towards the latter. Samael, however, quickly recovered, charged magma, darkness, and electrical energy upon his right fist to deliver a punch. Samael's attack connected with Death''s scythe, bringing forth a deadlock once more.

Chris and Alito, however, grabbed Samael by his reptilian tail and with a short sharp shout, exerted their every strength with their augmented arcane arms to send the Blood Demon flying over towards Strife and Fury.

Strife teleported straight towards Samael, managed to pull Punishment's trigger and unleashed huge burst of hot plasma upon the latter's body before he could teleport! Fury, too, joined in on with a powerful blast of fire.

Reaper Form Death and Chaos Form War flew above Samael and unleashed huge energy slashes, sending Samael crashing down on the floor.

_**"Arcana Formulae: Tempest Crusher!"**_

Streams of ice and wind energy surrounded Chris and Alito as choreographed their swordplay. Their arms weaved the air with beauty and grace of a smooth river, combining utmost precision and fluidity with brawl, strength, and attrition towards the Blood Demon. The slashes formed an electron-like shell that sliced through Samael's flesh with microscopic wind ice blades that sliced the sinews, muscles, and bones in such high-speed that it sent Samael flying once more before he could teleport. War finished the wave of attacks by impaling Samael's back with his Neo Chaoseater and releasing a huge blast of magma filled with Chaos power.

Despite the injuries, Samael wiped off blood from his mouth and managed to pick himself up, though struggling.

"Such...power...But I AM NOT PUTTING THIS CHANCE TO KILL EVERY ONE OF YOU!" Samael roared as his body glow red, sending himself into a surge of blood frenzy as electricity sparked through his body. Veins bulged from his biceps and his chest, and the scars upon his left glowed red with superb intensity.

Streams of fire, darkness, and electricity concentrated upon his two palms and formed two humongous, yet powerful, arcane gauntlets filled with his three signature elements.

"I say I will draw life out of every one of you...unless I get the answer about why that humans might have an edge...YOU WILL DIE!" Samael bellowed as he propelled himself in a huge aura of combined signature elements covering his body towards the six members.

"We have told you..." Chris charged up her fists, "as long as the virtues of humanity exist..."

The six members combined their weapons' aura once more…

"YOU WILL NOT JUDGE THE SINS OF ALL BY THE SINS OF A BLOODY FEW!"

The unity attack clashed upon Samael's final charge assault, creating another burst of energy that dissolved the Black Throne for good.

Samael's eyes widened...He could see the familiar aura that gave Chris, Alito, Death, Fury, War, and Strife the edge earlier on...

_"So...this is why humans could have an edge of demons...is it? The one's they called, 'Determination', 'Heart', 'Emotions', 'Kindness', 'Independence', 'Friendship'...and 'Love'..."_ Samael's eyes looked upon both Chris and Alito, among the six who joined their powers, as he saw the apparitions of Kako Takafuji, and the apparitions of both Chris and Alito's parents.

_"That must be...those humans' parents...and that Kimono Girl...must be the one to show them...the light...of humanity...Heh, to think that I will lose to sheer determination alone and the newfound respect for humanity...It seems they are fit for one last test..." _Samael smirked as his attack finally shattered into smithereens by the combined attack of the six members. The joint attacks struck the blood Demon and a huge blast of arcane Blue (Chris), Green (Alito), Pale Green (Death), Dark Orange (Fury), Lava Red (War), and White (Strife) blasted past the Blood Price's body, sending him into an extremely painful roar that made him collapsed upon his knees.

The Four Horsemen, Chris, and Alito levitating mid-air knew that they defeated the Blood Prince, but they were not celebrating. Samael struggled to get up once more. Smokes surrounded his charred body of his, lacerations were aplenty upon his chest and arms, blood were dripping out from tattered wings and slash wounds. Broken horns – three of them - were all that was left.

"So…you do not know the meaning of humanity…but am willing to protect them from the sins of a heartless few…And you have no knowledge of Balance whatsoever?" Samael frowned.

"Alito and I not know what Balance and Humanity are, but we just want to see a world where everyone can live in peace and harmony without humans fighting one another for no adequate reason! Not just for our parents and loved ones but for ourselves, because that's what we want! Besides, we will find Humanity's meaning sooner or later, and we know we will, because our parents believed us!"Chris frowned.

She continued, "But above all else…we know when we must stop ourselves from going too far in our attempts to strive for our aim; nothing is much worse than going against one's own self! I nearly learned this the hard way, when I'm concentrating way too much upon my works…"

Samael gave a broken grunt, stood up, and gave a soft chuckle.

"So…this is how far humans can go…Not just for a human…but for all." Samael smirked.

Chris's eyes widened, however, when she detected a different, and unknown, dark arcane energy coming from Samael's back.

Death, too, could feel it and knew who that belonged to.

"Samael! Behind you!" Death shot out.

"What?"

"LUCIFER!"

Too late…

The hands of the Dark Prince impaled through Samael's chest from his back. The Blood Prince's deep screams pierced through the shattered skies as the black smoke took shape to draw Samael's blood.

"Well done…you lots have fought long enough for me to take advantage of this situation…Thanks, you foolish imbeciles…"

A tall, muscular angel with red skin, long golden hair, and two ram-like horns materialised from the black smoke. He has gold-plated gauntlets around his bulging arms. He wore a red, scaly armor below his waist and a brown, tattered cloth around the armor. A huge scar with several branching blood veins rested across his muscular chest – a reminder of his rebellion against the Creator Samsarel.

His eyes, though yellow, glinted with sinister intent. He wore a black scaly strap around his chest, and has two dark and majestic demonic wings with veins upon each of them.

The Dark Angel exuded a sense of grandeur – twisted grandeur. One look and one could see the twisted light of the demon itself; an angel, corrupted by darkness, jealousy, and weak of self-will.

_**Lucifer…**_


	42. The Final Charge IV!

_**Chapter 42: The Final Charge IV - The Holy Beast: Longinus!**_

_**(Author for this chapter: Megumi Wanibuchi, Youko AKA Sae Miyazawa the 10th Hazuki Yanagawa, Mizuho Shirai, Himeko Ichioka, Umi Dozima, Rie Hasumi, and Akira Shirado)**_

"_**Samael! Behind you!" Death shot out.**_

"_**What?"**_

"_**LUCIFER!"**_

_**Too late…**_

_**The hands of the Dark Prince impaled through Samael's chest from his back. The Blood Prince's deep screams pierced through the shattered skies as the black smoke took shape to draw Samael's blood.**_

"_**Well done…you lots have fought long enough for me to take advantage of this situation…Thanks, you foolish imbeciles…" **_

_**A tall, muscular angel with red skin, long golden hair, and two ram-like horns materialised from the black smoke. He has gold-plated gauntlets around his bulging arms. He wore a red, scaly armor below his waist and a brown, tattered cloth around the armor. A huge scar with several branching blood veins rested across his muscular chest – a reminder of his rebellion against the Creator Samsarel.**_

_**His eyes, though yellow, glinted with sinister intent. He wore a black scaly strap around his chest, and has two dark and majestic demonic wings with veins upon each of them. **_

_**The Dark Angel exuded a sense of grandeur – twisted grandeur. One look and one could see the twisted light of the demon itself; an angel, corrupted by darkness, jealousy, and weak of self-will.**_

_**Lucifer… **_

"Ah...You fools have perfectly fallen into my plans. Although I have to admit...the both of you can work perfectly with the Four in weakening the Blood Prince. I'm surprised..." Lucifer smirked as he clapped his hands slowly.

"So you...you have been watching and planning the whole time to take Samael by the back? All while he is defenseless?" Chris frowned.

"Hahaha...Do you think I am going to let the opportunity slip by, when this wretched Blood Prince had turned on me and the Destroyer once? Now that the Blood Prince's immense power is within my body, Heaven is mine! Earth shall be mine!" Lucifer snickered.

"You dishonorable bastard..." Chris frowned.

"The world is a dirty place to live, my darling...Always have someone else do the dirty work for you, don't your parents told you when you're young?" Lucifer cackled.

"The Dark One...We know it will be a matter of time before we will fight you - the Prime Evil - to determine the ultimate fate of the universe..." Death frowned.

"Oh really? What good are the Humans anyway? They are nothing but creatures to be trampled upon, for demons to inflict fear upon!" Lucifer smirked.

"At least Samael is more honorable than you despite his demonic heritage! Sure, he might be cunning, but at least he is able to acknowledge our strengths! You who knows no honor...is a disgrace to every living being!" Chris frowned.

"Then what about the humans I wanted to take over? They themselves will not rule over Earth, only I can! Only I, the holiest of the holy, can guard and rule over the sacredness that is Earth, and not those humans that are cunning without the power to do it! It's sad really, that Samsarel failed to notice it and has to cast me to Hell with Lilith..." Lucifer frowned.

"You told Lilith to kill Chris, Alito, and I if we know about Corruption's origins...That means you have a role in this?" Death frowned, veins bulging from his knuckles.

Lucifer laughed. "I might as well say it, since you lots won't be here long to hear it anyways! Those weak and pathetic humans are the source of the Nephilims' bane; chased into exile by the Charred Council. I was extremely angry that the Council would exile our precious, rightful sons and daughters of Eden out!"

"So you and Lilith went against Heaven, go against Samsareal's rule, failed, and were brought down to Hell. From there, you asked Lilith to devise a plan - inciting all but four Nephilims' rage when they were exiled from Eden and thus reversing their roles from defenders against darkness, to servants of darkness! After Absalom's death, you commanded Lilith to create Corruption in the hopes that she will tap into Death's unfounded guilt should he arrive on the Black Stone to ask for your bride's help in reviving the Nephilims!" Chris frowned.

"Wait, what? How is it...you know about Lucifer's rebellion?" Death frowned.

"Lucifer, back in my world's tales and myths from documentary sources, was an angel hell-bent on rebelling against God because he hates and resents humans. I am not surprised if this dimension's Lucifer is the same, with Nephilims and Lilith thrown into the mix!" Chris nodded.

The Dark Prince clapped his hands once more...

"Brilliant...such intelligence from humans..."

His eyes then glowed red with hatred as a burst of dark aura surrounded him; electrical energy fuelled his hate for humanity even more.

"That intelligence of yours is precisely what makes me hate Humanity in the first place!" Lucifer roared.

"What makes you think I am even a human in the first place?" Chris frowned.

"Don't try to deny it! There is still that stench of hope and humanity right beneath that chest of what humans used to say...'heart'! It disgusts me; why are you humans the one who rule the Third Kingdom when we angels could have rule over Creation in the first place!" the Dark Prince shot back.

"I am curious about the meaning of Humanity...Alito and I have forsaken Humanity in the name of grief and sorrow, but now we are determined to find the true meaning and regain it!" Chris replied.

"Besides... she and Alito have our support as well." Death stood in front, wielding his Harvestor.

"Say what you want about humanity...at least they ain't disgusting and hopeless unlike you!" Fury snarled.

"Nephilims' main aim are to fight against the darkness...but you and Lilith took it upon yourselves as some sort of mockery and reverse their role to that of chaos, corruption, and destruction!" Strife followed.

"Nothing is worse than betraying yourself, Lucifer...You had dishonored yourselves from the beginning of the Charred Council's prediction!" War bellowed.

"The Charred Council knows nothing! I too exist at a time before the Charred Council, along with the likes of Raciel and Hadrimon! What makes them think the Councils know better? Just because that damn Creator alone creates them, is it?" Lucifer questioned with hateful intent, his neck bulges with veins of hatred as the aura of darkness slowly became dense and thick.

"At least the Council was right for once. Humans are part of the Balance; without them, this Earth will crumble. It is only when innocent beings started getting killed left and right for no adequate reason that we start to question ourselves...is this really the Balance we are striving for? We couldn't question the Council of course, since we are still bound to their laws." Death frowned, took a deep breath, and continued.

"It is only during my journey to rescue War, did I finally realize that I had enough when the Council did not even address the one that would kill us all - Corruption. Besides that, Chris and Alito taught me to respect humanity as well...because they have something that we Four Horsemen did not have at first!" the Pale Rider turned to face Chris and Alito.

"The first meaning of Humanity...Chris and Alito...is what we have just known - Choice! Humans make a choice when they are presented with adversities! Chris and Alito, both of you would have just sat on one side and wallow in self-pity, but you made a choice! You have the freedom to choose between the path to self-destruction, or the path to redemption. You choose the latter...and you did it not only for your parents...but also for yourselves! You hope that one day that pain, that thorn that stabbed your heart like a huge wooden stake, will dissolve into nothingness as you both start anew." Death frowned.

"You could have chosen the path of destruction and people will not stop you! It is your choice after all, but why did you not take it? Because you know, you choose, that it is about time you stand up for your own values and fight like a true warrior, honoring your values from the day you resolve to help innocent beings!" War frowned.

"All these talks about honor, sacrifice, and choice mean nothing in the realm of demons!" Lucifer bellowed.

"Angels and Demons have fought for far too long, and humans cannot go without a day or week in peace! Even during those 'truce' that you mentioned, there will be angels and demons that will still fight each other, inflicting pain and misery upon people apart from the mistakes they created; all the battle against demons and angels, just for the rule of Earth!" Alito frowned.

"Humans themselves have always wanted peace, but heartless morons, terrorists, disasters, and the lots have terrorized them for far too long that we do not need the Angels or Demons to fuck up our lives even more! That is why Samsarel left Creation alone! He knew it was a hard choice and that many beings will question his decision, as you did. But he wanted humans to rule by themselves in hopes that one day, happiness will come to them!" Chris followed.

The Four, Chris, and Alito pointed their weapons towards the Dark Prince, shouting, "It is the Creator's choice, and that we shall respect!"

Lucifer could feel blood boiling through his veins; pride had clouded his sense of judgement, giving way to hatred beneath the shadows.

"The Creator...everything that you said is about the Creator! I will prove that the Creator is weak compared to the likes of me, now that I have the Blood Prince's power!" Lucifer roared as huge torrents of light and dark surrounded him, transforming the Dark Prince into an androgynous angelic demon with two huge blue wings - one with a wing of an angel, and a bony wing of a devil on another.

The angelic-demon hybrid had four ram-like horns, long blue hair ranging from light to dark, blue arcane lines spreading through his body, four mini demonic and angelic wings grew out behind his ears, and strips of black and white paper surrounded his bulky body.

His eyes glowed with white on the left, and black on the right. He wore golden gauntlet with wings on his left and demonic gauntlets with devil-like horns upon his right. The intricate blue tattoos spreading across his body glowed with twisted grandeur as a fur scarf materialised and wrapped softly around his neck.

"ALL WILL FEAR ME, FOR I WILL TURN THE WORLD THAT I HAVE SEEN, TO THE WAY THAT I WANT!" the new Lucifer roared.

"Lucifer!" Chris shot back.

"THAT LUCIFER THAT YOU CALLED UPON HAS BEEN GONE. FROM NOW ON, YOU WILL CALL ME AS THE HOLY BEAST - LONGINUS! THAT WORLD IN WHICH YOU STAND ON, THE ONE WHERE HUMANS LIVE...SHALL BE TURNED TO DUST!" Longinus materialised a long and powerful trident with jagged appearance. A halo materialised from his head - a crown of angelic wings and demonic wings.

"This is it...the Holy Beast - Longinus." Chris frowned.

"If we don't kill that sob, there will be no tomorrow!" Alito nodded.

"Whether Humanity will survive...shall be determined by this battle!" Death transformed into his Reaper Form.

War, Fury, and Strife transformed into their alternate form as well.

"We fight so that the mortals may live lives of their own; to protect the defenseless! With our newfound respect for Humanity...LONGUNUS, WE MUST DESTROY YOU!" the team shot out with gusto.

_**Morphology: Longinus**_

_**Type: Holy Beast of Evil**_

_**Elements: Light and Dark**_

_**Description: The twisted embodiment of light and dark, Longinus possessed the power to switch modes from Light (Blue) to Dark (Red), switching weakness along the way. His attack strategies will switch too. In Light Mode, his attacks lean towards physical, while in Dark Mode, his attacks lean towards Dark Magic. He can be extremely fast, so proceed with caution. You have come thus far; do not lose it. **_

_**Current Mode now: Light Mode**_

_**Weak to All elements except for Null Element and Holy Element**_

"TRY IF YOU DARE, WEAK AND PATHETIC FOOLS! DARKNESS TRINITY!"

Longinus swung his trident and unleashed three long and wide streams of darkness. The streams formed a huge triangle that unleashed further streams of darkness.

Chris and Alito, who were still in their new, yet unknown form that defeated Samael, took the lead and managed to barrel roll, side step, dived down, rose up, and manoeuvred their ways through the continuously streaming lasers.

"EAT THIS!" Chris and Alito's eyes glowed, their fists glowed as they materialised huge, spectral blades to slice through the triangular portal. The portal dissipated with ease, but Longinus flew straight towards them, having anticipated the portal's demise.

"SAINTS FLARE!" Longinus roared as his Spear of Longinus burst in flames upon its tip.

"Try this on for size!"

Streams of Silver Bullets rained upon the wings of the Holy Beast, the immense impact pushed the latter into the far end. The frustrated beast looked up and cracked his knuckles; Strife had interfered.

"How's that for a brotherhood, Longinus? Would you like a Burst of Flavours next?" Strife taunted.

Chris and Alito's eyes flared up once more and clenched their fists.

"This time...WE WILL WIN!" Chris and Alito teleported straight towards Longinus as both sides traded spear swings, punches, slashes, and kicks. Neither side wanted to let way - the battle had so much at stakes that neither one wanted to give up.

One wanted to prove that the strong would triumph over the weak, and that imperfection brought nothing to Earth.

Another wanting to prove that Humanity deserved no one to rule over them and that Humanity could find themselves on their own feet, even if the person carrying that belief still does not know much about Humanity yet.

"WHY? WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO PROTECT SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE FORSAKEN?" Longinus shot out as he blocked several punches from Chris and Alito and managed to inflict injuries upon their chests and arms.

"It is to honor our parents, our forefathers, and everything they have done that are bound within the Last Will of the Fuschias!" Both women shot out and stood their ground as they clashed their gauntlets against Longinus's Spear, striking the Holy Beast's arms and limbs in the process.

"We could have done the opposite and wallow in self-pity, but never! We will fight to be true to ourselves! We will fight so that mortals may live to see another day! We fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves against those heartless morons as you do! We fight so that we could see a future...WHERE WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE TRUE MEANING OF HUMANITY!" both women shot out in unison as they charged their elemental punches for a full-on mega punch that vibrated the Spear of Longinus, releasing a huge elemental blast in the process. Chris and Alito's gauntlets let out steam as they entered Cooldown Mode after unleashing the shockwave.

The elemental blasts were too much for the Holy Beast of Evil to take as he was in Light Mode. Longinus keeled as a result but before he could react, Death slashed across the Holy Beast's chest with Harvestor. Blast after blast of icicle energy arcs struck, sliced, and tore through the elementally vulnerable body of the ultimate devil.

War quickly flew through and slashed Longinus's back with his Neo-Chaoseater. The red Rider's Chaos Form then impaled the long, jagged blade into the Devil's back and unleashing a powerful blast of arcane fire that seared through the body.

Fury's Hellfire Mode quickly whipped the Holy Beast of Evil with her dual Inferno Rage, bringing the beast upon the ground with a quick slash.

Despite entering cooldown mode, Chris and Alito managed to combine their ice and wind arcane shots and unleashing a torrential blizzard towards the Holy Beast.

"I thought your Cooldown Mode..." Strife wondered.

"In this mode, we can deliver light and speedy attacks. We can't exert a huge surge of elemental energy above 500 bars, however." Chris frowned.

A huge burst of arcane energy rippled through the skies, pushing the six members back.

"THAT DETERMINATION OF YOURS DISGUSTS ME! METAMORPHOSIS!" Longinus roared as he raised his Spear of Longinus, gathered loads of arcane energy, and covered himself in a flash of white light. When the light faded, his intricate tattoos were red, his hair, the Spear of Longinus, and his wings became red.

_**Longinus's Mode Change - Dark Mode (Red)**_

_**Resistant towards Elemental attacks.**_

Chris and Alito's gauntlets charged up once more, glowing with passion to forward their goals against all odds.

_"Sunder: Salvation Blasts!"_

Chris and Alito unleashed flurries of Salvation blasts towards the Holy Beast, who widened his eyes and promptly dodged the raining shots.

"HOW IS IT YOU'RE ABLE TO UNLEASH AN ANGELIC WEAPON?" Longinus frowned.

"Downloading weapons data from the angelic weapon Sunder that Uriel gave us! Surprised? Because that's how we adapt!" Chris frowned as she imbued her arms with the Holy Light of Sunder's downloaded ability. Alito followed along as the two women charged forth, with the Four Horsemen following behind because they knew that their elemental attacks were useless.

Longinus teleported behind Chris and Alito and kicked them just as they turned over. Chris and Alito quickly recovered with their Genesis Flight Systems and blitz towards Longinus, whose eyes widened and could only raise his Spear in time to block their attacks in response.

Knowing that Longinus was tempting Chris and Alito to unleash their Heavy Attack, the Pale Rider charged towards the Holy Beast's back and unleashed a powerful cleave with his Harvestor.

However, Longinus smirked and managed to teleport out of harms' way before the Harvestor could slice through his flesh. Chris managed to track Longinus's arcane energy signature quickly, flew up towards the skies with Alito, and clashed their Sunder-imbued fists with Longinus' Spear Dive.

The Holy Beast roared as he unleashed several arcane energy shots and commanded them to shoot at the two maidens. Chris and Alito promptly dispersed and dodged around the bullets, only to encounter Longinus appearing beside Chris.

Narrowly anticipating the Holy Beasts's place, Chris managed to parry Longinus's three-hit Tria attack, but it managed to pierce through the Icy Maiden's armor and inflicted wounds that were enough to blow her back.

Alito managed to catch Chris in time, just for Longinus to teleport towards the Maiden of Wind's back and unleashed five homing arc slashes made of poisonous darkness.

Knowing they could not avoid the attack altogether, Chris and Alito gritted their teeth as they charged through the unavoidable attack and surprising Longinus.

"WHAT?" the Holy Beast's eyes widened.

"EAT PEA!" Chris and Alito shot out as they drove their fists deep down the Holy Beast's belly and unleashed a huge burst of holy shockwave that pierced through his back.

Both Chris and Alito unleashed twenty orbs of light that came from Sunder's Shielding ability altogether and commanded them to rain streams of holy light upon Longinus, ending with the light orbs raining down and sending the Holy Beast down to an invisible plane three kilometres down.

The Holy Beast quickly recovered and flew backwards to stabilize himself, but Death appeared behind him. Longinus managed to turn around and quickly clashed his legs with Death's Harvestor, pushing the Pale Rider back few spaces.

The Holy Beast used his palms and formed the symbol of a five-point star, with a pentagonal center and a circle surrounding the star itself.

_**"DEATH SHALL CURE YOUR SOUL!"**_

With each slashing motion of the Longinus, the slash arcs that passed through the Star of Lucifer branched to build a powerful dome-shaped prison to cage in himself, the Four Horsemen, and the maidens themselves.

_**"OBLIVION OBLITERATION!"**_

Streams of light and dark began shooting out of the cages interior itself, forcing Chris, Alito, Death, War, Fury and Strife to deflect the lasers.

Longinus smirked; for he believed that he would tire them out and move in for an easy kill. However, Chris and Alito's eyes glowed with determination as their Operational Mode rallied them to release a huge burst of ice and wind to neutralize the barrage of lasers. Within seconds, the two Maidens teleported straight towards the Holy Beast and unleashed flurries of bullet punches towards Lucifer's skull, horns, chest, and even his arms.

Burst of holy energy pierced through every bones and nerve endings of Longinus's body, and each blow cracked the skulls and bones of the places Longinus were hit. Despite being able to land a few hit upon Chris and Alito's body while the clashes of attacks went on, Longinus was met with only blows of fiercer intensities from Chris and Alito, further aggravating his wounds.

War, taking advantage of Longinus's interrupted attack powered down from his Chaos Mode, joined in the fray, slashing Longinus's wings hard and bringing him to the ground. The Red Rider plunged his Armageddon Blade on the ground, releasing a huge geyser of blades that erupted from the ground and impaled Longinus through his body.

The Holy east roared, forcefully broke the Geyser Blades with his bare hands despite the damage, and unleashed flurries of slashes towards the Red Rider. War managed to cover his Abyssal Armor in a skin that looked like molten lava, braved the attack, and land in a few sweeping slashes with his Armageddon Blade. He even threw in a powerful uppercut slash and a flipsaw attack for good measure.

The clashes in their attack blew both parties back, where Strife appeared behind the Holy Beast of Evil and unleashed bolts of holy bullets with Punishment.

Resisting the pain, Longinus grabbed Strife by his hands, kicked the Rider of the White Horse, and slashed him once with the Spear. However, before Longinus could get another slash, Strife quickly recovered his footing, grabbed the former by his legs, and swiftly released a powerful right hook towards him. As the attack connected, the mini guns that extended upon his fingers unleashed small but concentrated blasts of energies that sent Lucifer flying towards the other side of the caged arena - North.

Chris and Alito teleported in front of Longinus, delivered a swift uppercut upon his chin, and sent him flying towards Fury, who was standing in South. The Rider of the Black Horse drew out her Talon Claws and began slashing Longinus with all her might.

The Holy Beast's eyes glowed and punched Fury in the face that sent her flying. Longinus grabbed Fury as they tumbled across the floor, but the latter kicked the former in the shins. Fury gained the advantage, grabbed Longinus by his hands, and pinned down the Holy Beast.

"CHRIS! ALITO! ALL YOU!" Fury shot out as she quickly did an acrobatic back flip just in time for Chris and Alito to descend upon the Holy Beast.

"The world has had enough of your constant inflicting of suffering and constant temptation!" Both Chris and Alito used their right and left fist respectively to punch Longinus hard on his skull repeatedly. The determination imbued upon their fists sent cracks upon the floor.

"This world has no need of higher beings to rule over humans; only beings who can guide humans!" Chris and Alito continued, but Longinus, enraged at their stubbornness, quickly stole a chance when Chris and Alito were about to draw their fists and punched the two Maidens straight in the face.

The Four Horsemen leapt in to help, but a huge burst of dark magic blasted the brotherhood away as he landed on top of Chris and Alito and started punching.

"YOU...YOU PUNY HUMANS ALWAYS DISGUST ME WITH YOUR SPEECH ABOUT FRIENDSHIP, ABOUT HOPE, ABOUT FAMILY, AND ABOUT LOVE, AS IF YOU KNOW IT ALL! HUMANS...THOSE PUNY HUMANS ARE NOT WORTHY!" Longinus screamed as he punched Chris and Alito with every bit of his godly strength, inflicting bruises and dents towards Chris and Alito's systems.

The two maidens, however, managed to bite through the pain to kick Longinus by his guts, and grabbed his face despite Longinus's best efforts to grab theirs with both hands.

"Your pride has blinded you; you will never get it!" Chris and Alito roared.

Longinus countered with a swift left kick, followed by another swift right kick by their chests. Alito was thrown towards the side, but she quickly recovered. Chris swiftly grabbed the Holy Beast's left leg and, along with Alito, delivered a hard and intense punch.

The force of the Maidens' punch threw the Holy Beast back few strides before he stopped himself on two feet. Longinus quickly got up from his setback, gathered a huge amount of darkness, and charged forth with a powerful left spear charge.

War and Death teleported right in front of Chris and Alito as they charged their left and right fists with intense arcane energy and clashed them with Longinus's spear. Death and War backed down just as Chris and Alito, with their Operational Mode still intact, delivered a collaboration hi-jump kick upon the Holy Beast's face.

A wave of intense pain rippled and shattered the sinews and muscles from Longinus's arms, to the entire body. The Holy Beast howled in pain as his screams shattered the skies, sending the battling demons into disarray and confusion at their leader's anguish.

Fury and Strife's collaboration Hellfire Bulletstorm did not help either, despite Longinus's resistance towards elemental attacks; the sheer attrition was far too much for him to take.

"Im...Impossible...Humans...your determination to protect humans...IMPOSSIBLE!" Longinus tried to get up, but collapsed once more.

Chris's fists began charging up with Arcana Ice once more as her determination fuelled her Project Tundra into insurmountable levels; the aura around her began crackling with electricity, and a huge torrential mini-blizzard surrounded her body.

"Yeah...sure, humans might be a dick towards one another...Rivalries between humans will always tear one another apart...There will be people who will think that they are right and the opposing team are wrong. There will always be betrayers in the world. There will always be imperfect beings in the world of the living. To you, humans are just beings that are not worthy of neither Eden nor Earth...but that's because you will never get it!" Chris delivered another swift right hook upon Longinus's face.

"Your pride has screwed you so hard up the arse that you failed to see that for every negatives you perceived...there will always be glimpses of kindness shared by humans, even if I am not human yet!" Chris delivered another left hook upon Longinus's left face.

"For each dick, there will be a friend!" Alito, too, joined in with a swift kick to Longinus's jaw.

"For each rivalry, there will be tears, comfort, friendship, and love!" Chris hammered Longinus head with her hammering fists.

"For each high and mighty extremists like you, there will be people who will respect and for people's opinions!" Death joined in with a powerful right slash across Longinus's chest and a kick in the guts.

"For each betrayer in the world, there will be people in which he or she can trust and honor!" War chimed in as he smashed Longinus's chest with the Tremor Gauntlet.

"For every imperfection in the world, there will be people who can tell them to strive on, but never to lose track about who they are!" Fury frowned as she tore inside Longinus's chest, ripped the skin apart while exposing the Holy Beast's flesh, and delivered a swift ankle kick upon his chin.

"And for every anger and tears a human shed...there will be joy and laughter - even if it is for sarcasm!" Strife frowned as he used Punishment to shoot Longinus with many bullets.

"NO...YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND MY THOUGHTS!" Longinus screamed as he delivered left spear strike.

"Yeah? Then we rather not put ourselves in your shoes!" Chris shot back as she grabbed the Spear of Longinus with her right hand. Despite the searing arcane magic corroding her right hand, Chris's eyes and runic tattoos around her glowed intensely as she bended the spear with her bare hands. Chris then delivered another powerful icicle shockwave that sent the Holy Beast back a few more strides.

"Because we rather be someone who has flaws..." Chris and Alito began charging up another intense amount of arcane energy. Their Operational Mode reached maximum power as they charged towards the Holy Beast.

"THEN TO BE SOMEONE WHO VIEWS THEMSELVES AS THE PERFECT BEING WITH A SENSE OF TWISTED, DISGUSTING, HEARTLESS GRANDEUR, AND KILLING INNOCENT BEINGS ALL THE DAMN FUCKING TIME!"

The short, crisp, yet loud sound of ice and wind blasted through the skies. The sounds of rippling bones shattering riveted across the dark, cloudy atmosphere. The dark cage shattered and faded into the dust as all that remained of the delusional darkness, was the Holy Beast himself.

"This...this is not my destiny...I was destined to rule over the White City...Rule over Creation...Humans...You puny humans..." Longinus wailed as he stumbled back and forth, his body terminally damaged with the wounds and lacerations inflicted upon him.

"He will never get it...We might as well end his life once and for all. Besides...we have many Post-True Apocalypse matters to take care of..." Death frowned.

The Four Horsemen, Chris, and Alito raised their hands in the air as their auras merged together to form a white aura.

"This is not only for us...but this is for every single innocent being that lives in this planet! To protect the innocent beings while not losing ourselves at the same time...To protect the innocents without any compulsive rule from the angels and demons! We will...no...WE MUST DESTROY YOU! THAT IS WHAT WE STRIVE FOR! "

_**"FINALE METEOR: EXECUTIONER!"**_

The six members charged on forth, a burst of white aura flared up as they streak through the skies and collided with Longinus's body. A huge sphere of energy began expanding through the skies as the Hellguards and Demons cast their gaze upon the huge, arcane object.

Seconds later, the six members gave a short, sharp shout as they released their punches, unleashing a concentrated energy blast that seared through Longinus's body.

The Holy Beast roared and flailed as streams of light and dark erupted from his chest and exploded in a huge explosion of light and darkness. All that remained were the particles of both elements dancing around in the skies as the demons and angels widened their eyes as they looked upon the skies.

Uriel and the Hellguards gazed upon the scattered particles that surrounded the Four Horsemen, Chris, and Alito...

"It's over...It's finally over...Corruption is gone...Lucifer is done for...and Samael is gone..." Chris sighed and smiled wistfully.

_"So humans...sure are different compared to demons and angels after all..."_

Chris, Alito, and the Four Horsemen turned their backs in time and saw an angel's apparition. The apparition had angelic wings on his right, and demonic wings upon his left. He was carrying a lightning and electricity whip, with the Hellguard Armor that high-ranking angels like Archon Lucien wore. Dark gold highlights and tanned skin resided upon the left half of his body with a scarf wrapped around his neck.

His face has light wrinkles that made him look as senior as Abaddon, medium nose, small lips, and he has white hair, just like every other angel in the realm that had hair; it was common among angels.

"Samael? You lived?" War frowned.

"It is me...but not what you expect me to be..." the Blood Prince frowned.

"Nonsense...I thought your plan was to take over Lucifer to rule over the Dark One, but it seems even you fell to human beings; resilience...despite the fact that Chris and Alito will be questioning about the meaning of humanity again." the Crowfather teleported beside after witnessing Longinus's demise.

"Heh...Crowfather...even the most intelligent being chimed in too? I told you eons ago, but your impatience seemed to run out. I am still under the divine law...it's not as simple as you think." Samael frowned.

_**With the Holy Beast of Evil - Longinus destroyed...the Soul of Samael is freed.**_

_**However, what did Samael said when it is not what people expected it to be?**_

_**In addition, what did Samael meant when he said that he was still under the command of Samsarel despite being a fallen angel?**_

_**Find out in the last chapter of Darksiders: Frozen Assets in...**_

_**Chapter 43: Our Journey for Humanity...has just begun!**_


	43. Samael - One who carries the last will!

_**Chapter 43: Samael - One who carries the last will!**_

_**(Author: Yuka Ichijyo and Mamoru)**_

_**(Co-author: Orine Aida and Suzuko Kanzaki)**_

_**Last Episode on Darksiders: Frozen Assets**_

_**The Holy Beast roared and flailed as streams of light and dark erupted from his chest and exploded in a huge explosion of light and darkness. All that remained were the particles of both elements dancing around in the skies as the demons and angels widened their eyes as they looked upon the skies**_

_**Uriel and the Hellguards gazed upon the scattered particles that surrounded the Four Horsemen, Chris, and Alito...**_

_**"It's over...It's finally over...Corruption is gone...Lucifer is done for...and Samael is gone..." Chris sighed and smiled wistfully.**_

_**"So humans...sure are different compared to demons and angels after all..."**_

_**Chris, Alito, and the Four Horsemen turned their backs in time and saw an angel's apparition. The apparition had angelic wings on his right, and demonic wings upon his left. He was carrying a lightning and electricity whip, with the Hellguard Armor that high-ranking angels like Archon Lucien wore. Dark gold highlights and tanned skin resided upon the left half of his body with a scarf wrapped around his neck.**_

_**His face has light wrinkles that made him look as senior as Abaddon, medium nose, small lips, and he has white hair, just like every other angel in the realm that had hair; it was common among angels.**_

_**"Samael? You lived?" War frowned.**_

_**"It is me...but not what you expect me to be..." the Blood Prince frowned.**_

_**"Nonsense...I thought your plan was to take over Lucifer to rule over the Dark One, but it seems even you fell to human beings' resilience...despite the fact that Chris and Alito will be questioning about the meaning of humanity again." the Crowfather teleported beside after witnessing Longinus's demise.**_

_**"Heh...Crowfather...even the most intelligent being chimed in too? I told you eons ago, but your impatience seemed to run out. I am still under the divine law...it's not as simple as you think." Samael frowned.**_

_**The Skies - Spectral Road**_

"Not as simple? What do you mean?" Chris panted, charred and injured after the battle despite having the temporary unknown form that ascended from her Arcana Form - currently known as 'Operational Mode'.

"I am not really a demon per se...I'm just like Raciel and Abaddon." Samael replied.

"Wait...you mean, you're a fallen angel just like them?" Chris frowned.

"That I am..." Samael nodded.

"Samael...just who are you..." Death frowned.

"I am a fallen angel...but I am also under the last command of the Creator." Samael replied.

"What? You're under the command of Samsarel?" Strife frowned.

"I see no point in telling lies compared to the delusional fallen angel that is Lucifer himself. I am a fallen angel, but I do so only to carry out the Creator's last will before he supposedly, in Abaddon's case, abandon his Creation." Samael nodded.

"So what happened?" Alito wondered.

Samael sighed deeply and frowned. "Since the dawn of Time, the Cities of Heaven went against the scourges of darkness sprouting from Hell. During that time, Lucifer had not fallen yet, and does neither Lilith, nor me. The Creator wanted to create Human and the Charred Council delivered their prediction."

"I was also lost, like Lucifer. At first, I do not know why Heaven wants to guide Man when they themselves are good at only being cunning." Samael recalled.

_**Hours after the Charred Council predicted the advent of Man on Eden**_

"No...This cannot do! I meant to be perfection, the perfection of wisdom and beauty! Earth has adorned me with every precious stone that I could find...meaning that the Creator treasured me! Why must he divert his attention towards the humans? Couldn't he see the greatness in me?" Lucifer bellowed as he slammed his fists in one of the tables in his courtroom.

"Look, The Creator may have his own reasons of good will. He could not just create them out of nowhere, right?" Samael frowned.

"My Prince...that pain of yours staked your heart...it is unbearable indeed." Lilith sighed as she stroked the chest of the Accuser.

Samael shook his head. "Granted, I myself do not know about humanity, but I still stick to my belief that there must be reason behind his creation."

"Reason? His reason is that he does not care for us anymore! The Creator cared for Heaven prior to that, yet when he declared that he would create the Kingdom of Man he make it sound as if he cared only of humans! Who does the Creator think he is? As if I am some sort of toy?" Lucifer growled.

Samael looked down, sighed deeply, and looked up again to see Lucifer crushing the mini statue of Samsarel himself.

"It is clear that the Creator thinks lowly about us Angels...and so wanted to create humans to destroy us! This Samsarel, who called himself 'The Creator', is not fit to be that any longer..." Lucifer's eyes slowly turned blood-red with anger and pride.

"The Humans themselves did not do anything to deserve a place on Earth, why does the Creator express his wish to create them? That is absurd! Who does he think he is? Some sort of superhero whom he can play our hearts with?" Lilith frowned.

Samsarel observed and sighed once more as blood seeped out of Lucifer's hands.

"I shall ascend above the heights of the clouds; I shall be like the Most High! The Creator himself has forsaken me, just as he forsaken the White City! He brought this upon himself!" Lucifer bellowed.

_**Flashback End**_

"Lucifer...corrupted by Pride, rallied some of the angels and tempted them successfully to go against the Creator. He told them that the Creator does not care for Creation anymore and as soon as the Kingdom of Man was born, the White City would be dominated by humans." Samael explained.

"Lucifer is very befitting of the Prince of Lies indeed." Strife frowned.

"What about you, Samael?" War wondered.

"I succumbed to his pressure. Despite that, I was torn between ideals. I know that the Creator wanted to create Humans for the sole purpose of peace, but I also fear that the Creator might not care for us in the grand scheme of things." Samael took a deep breath, and continued.

"At the same time when the Nephilims received the news several weeks after Samsarel told us about his upcoming creation, Lucifer and his legions of rebellious angels went against the Creator and all of heaven that supported the Creation of Humans. I joined in, albeit still having questions in my mind about why Samsarel wanted to create humans. Unsurprisingly...we lost, and were sent down to Hell for punishment." Samael explained.

"Just like the mythological documentary books back in my world; Lucifer lost and became Satan." Chris frowned.

"Yes. However, while I am in Hell, Samsarel called for me in secret. He knows that I am the only Fallen Angel from Lucifer's legion that bears guilt and questions, and told me that he was willing to give me a chance in pouring my doubts out. So I did..." Samael sighed.

_**Black Void - Days before the Eden War and after the Four's defection from the Nephilims**_

"I see that you are the only fallen angel that felt remorse for your actions...Samael." Samsarel looked on with eyes of sadness, the disappointment still fresh upon his mind the day after Lucifer's rebellion.

"That I do, Creator...I deserve punishment for the sins I have created." Samael sighed in great sadness.

"But I can see, from your eyes that many questions had plagued you; questions about my decision of creating humans, perhaps?" Samsarel spoke softly.

"I do not mean to follow Lucifer. I know that nothing I have said will acquit me of the things I have done, but yes, I followed Lucifer. But not for things such as pride, avarice, or for attention!" Samael shook his head.

"That I know, Samael. You might be cunning, but you did so only to defeat the demons ad the scourges of Hell. You still kept to your bargain, and are faithful towards all of Creation; willing to protect them." said the Creator. "When facing Lucifer though, you have no other choice, for he has greater power than yours and could kill you in minutes flat. Peer pressure has gotten into you...for that, I understand. However, I need to understand...why do you doubt my creation of The Kingdom of Man?"

Samael lowered his head and looked away in shame...

"Is it because of Lucifer's influence upon you?" Samsarel asked firmly.

Samael slowly nodded. "I wonder, Creator, why do you create Humans? Couldn't Heaven live in peace in the comfort of Eden with the creatures that you created? I am wondering...what good are the humans anyway. Don't get me wrong, I respect your decision to create humans...but how good are they?"

Samsarel simpered. "Samael...I created humans because I believed they can make Earth a better place to live. Because I know they have something that Demons and the prideful fallen angels like Lucifer don't have..."

The Creator coughed and blood stained his robes, along with his hands.

"My Lord!" Samael exclaimed in worry.

Samsarel shook his head. "No good...The fight I had with Lucifer and his Legions had taken its toll upon me. i will have to fade out soon..."

"This is not possible, My Lord!" Samael frowned.

"My power of Creation is almost depleting...There is no other ways now. I will have to go soon..." Samsarel sighed.

"Than what about the humans? Are you going to leave them to their own devices when they practically do not know what to do?" Samael frowned.

"That...is what I want you to do." the Creator simpered.

"What?" Samael wondered.

"I know that you are a Fallen Angel, but you have shown remorse. Lucifer misguided you and you admitted that such acts are wrong, which means you cared about the divine law. You had not betrayed me...just misguided. What I would want you to do...is to do nothing, and watch over the humans under the guise of the Fallen Angel." Samsarel requested.

Samael tilted his head. "What?"

"I want you to understand what make humans tick. I'm sure you will find the answer as to why Humans are worthy of having Earth and Eden." Samsarel smiled weakly.

"Why can't you help them, at the very least? I mean...you are the Creator...some starting tools will be nice..." Samael wondered.

"That is why I urge you to analyse them. Sometimes it is better to do nothing; I have confidence they will be able to fend for themselves one day. I have confidence that the able-bodied humans will be able to look after the ones who cannot protect themselves. You trust me, yes?" Samsarel asked.

"Yes, I do...my Lord." Samael nodded.

"Then continue to be in the guise of the Fallen Angel...do neither good, nor evil. In addition, observe the humans as they grow...Use whatever you can; cunning, mysteriousness, intelligence, insidiousness, and powers to prevent Lucifer or the angels from knowing your plans. As long as innocent human beings and Earth aren't involved, I am okay with it." Samsarel nodded.

"How am I supposed to keep up my guise as a Demon Lord, while still serving under the divine law and observing the humans?" Samael wondered.

"That's what I am counting upon, Samael; I have faith in you. Faith, that you can make it through this hurdle. Again, I know you did not mean to betray me; you have remorse within your eyes. Would you want my faith in you to be misplaced again?" Samsarel wondered.

"No...Definitely would not! But the demons and angels might..." Samael frowned.

"Try to influence the humans? That is what I fear too...but..." said Samsarel as he looked over a portal that showed the Four travelling to the Charred Council.

"Maybe they will be of great help...in maintaining the Human World until then..." Samsarel nodded.

_**Flashback End**_

"So...you were forced to follow Lucifer against your will and became a Fallen Angel when you fell. But because you're the only angel that is remorseful, the Creator gave you one more chance at redemption - observing the humans while the Seven Seals were still intact and to see why Humans can fend for themselves on Earth." Chris summarized.

"Yes." Samael nodded.

"And thus...after the Four Horsemen's formation, you became the Red Wanderer - infused with powerful, dark energy that lets you match up to Lucifer as eons go by, right?" Alito wondered.

"Darkness need not be evil...It may make people more susceptible to evil, but is instantly evil the moment someone acquires darkness? No." Samael nodded.

"But you said that you do neither respect honor, nor the balance, nor the Council. Although the Council part makes a lot of sense - they are corrupted - but still..." Strife frowned.

"It is the Charred Council. At first, I do respect Balance. But as I saw Corruption ripping apart my Black Throne, the Council said that Balance served to only stay its hand. That is when I lost complete respect towards them and could only hope that Samsarel is still alive to see it." Samael frowned.

"Do you know that Corruption is created by Lilith's Black magic giving the Nephilims' hatred life?" Chris wondered.

"No. That I do not know." Samael admitted.

"So...the Charred Council, corrupted, told you that Balance served to stay its hand. They kept up with their twisted, grandeur sense of honor...it's no wonder you have no respect for them at all." Alito sighed.

"So...you carried the Last Will of the Creator before his demise...is that what your 'mysterious agenda' is all along?" Death frowned, his eyes raised with suspicion after encountering his mysterious persona many a times.

Samael laughed. "What? So you do not believe me even after I have spoken the truth to you during THE END of the True Armageddon...Heh...Guess my persona as the Blood Prince and Lord of the Black Stone does make you four gullible."

He continued. "Alas...his pride have caused his fall, but no matter what happens in the end...hate will still exist in this world as long as heartless beings exist. Sometimes...those people love to spread hate for no reason other than for the heck of it. Lucifer may be gone, but his hate will still remain."

Chris and Alito looked at the Four Horsemen and nodded.

"The Humans fend for themselves. They do not need the likes of Angels or Demons to influence them! What Angels should do, is to guide them, not rule over them!" Alito nodded

"For every worse in humanity...there will always be something good. That's why we want to protect them; the good in humanity! We want to see their smiles upon their faces, nothing more! We will never forgive people who kill, do heartless stuffs that involved taking lives of others just for the fun of it, and even terrorists attacks!" Chris clenched her fists.

"I see...so this is the extent of humanity...Indeed, I know why Samsarel wants to create humans now. Even if you and Alito are from the other dimension...you are still the same being as the humans of this world." Samael nodded.

Chris looked at Samael with hopeful eyes. "Samael...you said that we are humans. All we know about elements of Humanity thus far is Choice. Since you know the meaning of humanity now...can you tell us, Samael, what is it?"

Samael grunted. "You know something...Samsarel would have told me about Humanity back then. But do you know why he doesn't want to tell me?"

"Why? Wouldn't it be great if they get this over with? Chris and Alito have suffered for twelve years, and all you do is to prolong his suffering!" Death snarled.

"I would have thought so...But I realize why Samsarel wanted to put me through this. Chris and Alito..." Samael frowned as he faced the two maidens.

"Yes?" Chris and Alito wondered.

"Your journey into finding the Humanity has just begun and there is still much guilt inside of you that you have to clear. Samsarel had done this for me, and now I pose this challenge for you - find the meaning of humanity. Believe me...it will make the journey even more meaningful; for only when you search for the meaning of humanity, does one know true peace within oneself. That is what I have learned while fighting with you and the Four."Samael replied calmly.

"But..." Fury frowned, but Chris and Alito raised their hands...

"It is the journey, and not the destination...I get it, Samael. We have resolved to search for the meaning of humanity even before the battle against Lilith! We know that once we search for it...maybe, just maybe, we will know if our parents' death...is our fault, and whether crying is necessary for the weak." Chris replied as she took Alito by her hand.

Both shot out, "Because this is the path we have chosen, and we will not turn back! We will protect the innocent, the weak, and find solutions for them to fend for themselves and other dimensions that we will have diplomacy in the near future!"

Death sighed and shrugged. "Well, good on them, at least they have found their grip together and found their solace. Now only the question to humanity remains...I suppose the journey will be worthwhile despite is difficulty."

"Good! This is what I would like to see from the ones who have defeated me..." Samael laughed with a deep voice.

As Samael's soul faded into Oblivion, his voice echoed the air.

_"Remember, Chris and Alito...nothing is more tragic than losing your own values in the name of Pride. May you guide yourself to finding humanity, and even guide fellow humans and allies to find peace without the dominant rules of demons and gods, but with the guidance of the angels. As for the Four...Samsarel told me that once the day Judgement Day is over...you are free on your own..."_

As the dust of light and dark scattered through the Earth and mingled with the remains of the scattered Earth, the revived humans, demons, and angels, the Legions of Hell fell upon their knees.

"Our Dark Lord has fallen!"

"Lucifer had died..."

"Judgement has come for us!"

Chris, Alito, and the Four looked at one another and nodded, giving one another a pat on their backs.

Uriel arrived at the scene, her smile was all for Chris and Alito to know - the Hellguard Commander was never more than relieved to see her 'sisters' survived the final charge against the Lucifer's Ultimate Form - Longinus.

"We can save the words for later...you know what is left..." Chris nodded, giving a small simper.

The Four Horsemen, Chris, Alito, and Uriel rallied against their fighting allies...

_**"Judgement for Demons comes at hand!"**_

Screams of demons dying as blood spewed over the battlefield. The allies ripped off the spines of the heartless banes of Creation. Even the Generals themselves could not comprehend the insurmountable morale rise of those against them - literally all of Creation.

Makers, the Wardens, the Constructs, Hellguards, the humans like Draven and the Hunter, and even the commoners picked up whatever they find across the shattered battlefield as they charged towards the demons horde.

Chris, Alito, the Four, and Uriel joined in for the final assault towards the demon hordes.

Without their Lucifer, the outcomes of the demons were certain...

_**Ultimate Judgement...by death.**_

_The Earth might be shattered, but it would rise again..._

_As long as angels guide, and not rule, over humans...peace can be achieved._

_Heartless murderers who have given humans too much crap..._

_In the name of True Balance - Humans living in peace - ACCEPT YOUR JUDGEMENT!_


	44. Epilogue

_**Epilogue: Leave out all the rest**_

_**(Since this is the final chapter, all the 75th Generation, all the team from NO NAME, and all Senbatsu will be involved in this Grand Finale.)**_

Within weeks in the Four's world, the demons were slain; peace had been restored.

Heaven's forces agreed in helping the Makers at rebuilding the Kingdom of Man, the Dead Kingdom, and the White City.

War, still remembering that he would kill all accomplices who schemed with him, nearly killed Azrael if not for Chris and Alito; they reckoned that Blackmail and Peer Pressure not be the reason Azrael deserved the death sentence, and that too many innocent angels have died over a century.

The Red Rider refused initially, but Chris and Alito threatened the red Rider to kill them instead, stating that they had enough of innocent angels dying; Azrael was innocent, Abaddon was guilty instead and had already received punishment by death via War.

After much heavy consideration the Four Horsemen decided to spare the Angel of Death, but also stated that he would not go away unpunished.

Azrael was willing to take full responsibility into rebuilding the Hellguard Army, guide Uriel as the next Hellguard Commander, help Earth's reconstruction, and maintaining the Well of Souls in check as the new King of the Underworld; he was the Angel of Death after all.

After they shot the big elephant on the room, the Four Horsemen, White City, and the human world in their dimension had negotiated with Chris and Alito's dimension.

Eight months passed in the Four Horsemen's world; eight weeks back in Chris and Alito's world.

The calm after the storm finally resided over both worlds...

Corruption was gone for good...

The residents living in the Four's dimension were able to harmonize with the adventurers and non-adventurers of Chris and Alito's dimension.

With True Armageddon over, hate would still be present despite in lesser amount, but it sure would not be as much as before - peace would eventually reigned supreme thanks to the lessons learned during and after the True Apocalypse, and the angels' guidance, not rule.

The two dimension, like other dimension that came before, would be allied under the Diplomacy Alliance - adventurers are free to explore the Four's world and vice-versa.

That, and the time zone in the Four's dimension would be the same as the time zone in Chris and Alito's dimension.

Initially, Chris and Alito wore a time dilation belt around them; one year in the other dimension would mean a week back in the users' world. This is to prevent adventurers from wasting time, or to prevent adventurers from worrying about rushing for deadlines that they could complete in other dimension before reporting to the Adventurers' Guild.

However, that was not by any means the most important thing...

_**Chris and Alito's world - First Day of Spring**_

The crisp, cold wind of spring swept by as they sent the colored brown leaves flying to and fro into the skies and through the towns.

Clouds gathered around in cotton clusters, blocking the sun.

Chris, Alito, and the Four Horsemen, looked upon the Memorial of the Fuschias...

The Maiden of Ice and the Maiden of Wind's had powered back into their permanent Arcana Form; the Crowfather had told them that their inhibiting guilt still kept them from unleashing their true potential.

"Mom...dad...Aunt Zerta...everyone..." Chris kneeled before the memorial itself in the Rosengarten, lowering her head as sadness crept upon her face.

Alito brought her hands over to Chris and squeezed it tightly; a symbol that she too, was willing to suffer through all that her Lady had suffered.

The Pale Rider, Death, approached the Icy Maiden and placed his right hand upon Chris's right shoulder, clenching it firmly.

War, Strife, and Fury soon follow, placing their hands on Chris's shoulders and clenched them as firmly as they could.

Chris could feel the firmness of their responses and responded Alito, War, Death, Strife, and Fury with a tight squeeze upon their hands. The Icy Maiden could feel tears welling upon her eyes' glands, but she kept it back.

Chris stood up shortly after, clenched her fists hard, and turned to the Four Horsemen, who gave a solemn nod.

"This is it...Chris and Alito. We are going our separate ways from then on. God knows when we might meet one another after all the mayhem we have braved through." Death gave a wistful chuckle.

"We will meet each other, that's for sure. After all, aren't we 'brothers' now?" Chris smiled wistfully.

"Chris and Alito...thanks again. You, along with the humans that have participated in the True End War, have made us look at humanity in a new light; it is not bad, despite its imperfections." Fury simpered.

"Nothing is more cowardly than not being you. Remember that." War nodded.

Strife approached Chris and Alito and grunted. "You two...thanks for helping my brother out. Yeah, he's pretty much a sarcastic bastard still, and I certainly am going to adjust towards my new respect for my dry 'brother' of mine but...I realize he sometimes meant what he says. Thanks again..."

"Believe me, Strife. You are lucky enough to have a brother who cares for you despite his coldness." Chris simpered.

"Cold? My brother cannot simply turn everything to ice, can he?" Strife crossed his arms.

"What did you just say?" Death frowned.

Chris and Alito gave a soft chuckle.

_The world in which we lived in is a step closer into achieving peace..._

_Mom...dad...can you see it? _

_How I wish you could see it, the peace that every human being have been striving for..._

_It is not just my effort and Alito's; everyone has a part to play too...for that, I am relieved._

_Alito and I have found the peace that we want; the calm state of mind where we can begin our journey..._

_The journey of finding the meanings of Humanity and Emotions..._

_How long will it take me to know those meanings?_

_Will I ever find out if it is my fault for the Fuschia's death?_

_I do not know..._

_But one thing I know..._

_I am not going to let any heartless beings, terrorists, or any kind of obstacles get in my way..._

_I am not going to lose myself in the process of finding the values..._

_And I know that even if I am threading on thin ice, I will have someone by my side..._

_I know the Four Horsemen, have accepted Alito and I as part of their brotherhood after the True Armageddon..._

_I know Uriel have become sworn sister to both Alito and I..._

_But there will be someone who can understand me best..._

_Someone who will be by my side..._

_Someone who shares, listens, knows the struggles, and knows the pain, because she had known me since...since ever._

_That someone...is Alito..._

_I promise dear, if we ever achieved redemption..._

_You will be the very person I will confess my love for once more._

_Not just in our new lives..._

_But as our new...us..._

_And another thing..._

_The heartless beings who dare terrorized the peace of innocent beings living..._

_Will pay dearly..._

Chris clenched her fists and frowned, a surge of icy blue aura surrounded her being and her eyes glowed blue with fury - a tranquil fury...

_With their lives; I will show them no mercy!_

_**End of Story **_

_**Back to Present Time (This happened some time after Yuko's Corruption)**_

_"Well...that's it. Forty-four chapters, finally done..." Tsubasa Katagiri simpered._

_"The Four Horsemen certainly have something going with Chris and Alito." Katagiri Atsuko nodded and gave a soft smile._

_"Both sides are bringers of the True Balance - peace in a post-scarcity society, where entertainment isn't all about money, but for enjoyment, passion, and love." Mikako Minamino grinned._

_"Wait...what about Strife and Fury's side of their story? Who's gonna write them? And what of War?" Nagisa Motomiya wondered._

_Tomoyo Itano, the blonde eleventh Tomomi Itano, gave her usual trademark smile - petite mouth - and replied, "I will do it..."_

_"Really?" Tsubasa wondered._

_Tomoyo nodded, "Nothing like a great honor to write the Rider of the White Horse's recounts. Not for glory and certainly not to brag, but to detail his struggles of accepting his brother as part of the Four." _

_"And I will detail War, for the same reason as Tomoyo does." Ayako Kuroki smiled._

_"Doing your boyfriends a favor, eh?" Hikari Kimishima, the graduated ninth Yuko Oshima, grinned from ear to ear._

_The idols of AKB0048 and SKB0048 gave a burst of laughter._

_At night..._

_Tomoyo went back to her room, looked at the pictures of her and Strife upon the hills of Akiba, and smiled..._

_She had invited someone close to her over to her house..._

_"This is for you...Rider of the White Horse." _

_"So...you wanted the recounts of mine, huh?" _

_"Again, like I said...It is neither for glory, nor for fame...but to fully understand where you come from and how you get to know your brother better." Tomoyo leaned against the Rider's shoulder._

_"And most importantly...it's to honor you." _

_"Well...heh...I suppose there's no harm, huh?" Strife chuckled._

_As Tomoyo and Strife sat on the short, wooden table, the former took out her ink, feather pen, and a new book at the ready..._

_"No cheating...or jumping through arcs." Tomoyo chuckled._

_"You think I would?" Strife grunted._

_Tomoyo smiled as she began writing the title for the new side project..._

_**Darksiders III: Memoirs of the White Horse**_

_**Written by: Tomoyo Itano**_

_**Recounted by: Strife**_

**With that ends Darksiders: Frozen Assets, ladies and gents!**

**Hope you all enjoy the journey so far! I know I do! Good luck for the future then! Here's Stormrex Lancer, signing out! If you can, leave a review if you please :) **

**END**


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